Deadly Intentions
by iamerika
Summary: Sequel to Deadly Memories. Post: From Dead to Worse. Eric and Sookie try to make their relationship work, while embroiled in another mystery. ESN, suspense, intrigue, comical situations and romance!
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: I'm baaack!! LOL This is the sequel to **Deadly Memories**, called **Deadly Intentions**. It takes off where Deadly Memories left off. I hope you like what I've written! Remember that reviews would be greatly appreciated. _

_Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris, I don't own anything! _

_Rated: MA (for sexual content or ESN)_

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**Chapter 1**

A couple of weeks had past since I'd returned home from my trip to Las Vegas with Eric. It had been a business trip, not a pleasure trip at all. And no, we didn't get married either. (Not that I wanted to get married right now, but most people tended to joke about things like that when the people that they knew went to Vegas.) Marriage had been the furthest thing from both of our minds, as we had been looking for people who had been after us. We'd found out all that we'd needed to know, and _then_ some. The people that had been behind my kidnapping had ended up dead, and neither Eric nor myself were disappointed by the outcome.

Eric Northman was now what you'd call my "official" boyfriend, which scared me to death. He was the sheriff of Area Five and owned a vampire bar named, Fangtasia. The thought of the kind of power that he held scared me. I had little understanding for it and had little inclination to know all of the details about his business. I knew all that I needed to know about him. He was a great companion, protective, generous, caring (at least with me) and the sex was…_gourmet_. I wasn't sure what else I would call it but if you had ever tasted the sweetest; most delicate chocolate that melted in your mouth, that would be one of the closest ways of describing it. And it was very passionate. He always made sure that I was happy and had a great sense of humor. We were blood-bonded as well, which made us closer than a lot of other normal couples.

I'm not sure if you would count us in as being _normal_, since he was a vampire and I was a telepathic human with a touch of fae blood…but that was what we were.

We were so close…that we could read each other's minds when in close distance. He always knew what I was feeling. He could always track me down and find me. (Except when someone messed with our bond, like the witch, Agatha had done.) I never had to explain myself to him and that was a bonus. He accepted me - faults and all. I could always feel when he was near. I was constantly aware of his presence and his life, humming along in the distance.

It relieved me greatly. I had never felt anything like it before in my life and I was grateful. Which was quite the opposite of how I _used_ to feel about our bond. I had hated it at first, but now I had learned to accept it. It's amazing how things change, given enough time.

My broken arm had heeled up, thanks to Eric and his blood. I was now back to work at Merlotte's, working as a barmaid. Eric had wanted me to take some time off, so that we could spend some time together, but I had bills to pay and I wasn't looking for a handout from him or anybody else.

It was a good thing that Eric understood me enough to not push the issue. I knew that he wanted me to quit my job and move in with him, but I was being stubborn. Not on purpose, mind you, but the thought of taking our relationship to the next level scared me almost as much as the thought of the power that he held.

Of course, we'd said, those three little words, _'I love you.' _But since neither of us wanted to ruin our relationship, we were both content to take things slow and take them day by day. Or, night by night in Eric's case. If you asked me, I think that Eric was as scared of it as I was, maybe even _more_ so. Lord knows, how long ago he had felt this way, or if he had ever felt this way about a woman before. I haven't asked him and I wasn't about to spoil things by asking it now. Let's just say that we were both on the same page. We were both content and just trying to deal with things as they came.

I pulled into my driveway, expecting to see lights on inside. My roommates, Amelia and Octavia always stayed up late watching TV. I was surprised to see that it was dark.

I climbed out of the car, and walked towards the back door. I put my key in the deadbolt and opened up the door. I let myself inside.

"Amelia? Octavia?" I called out, while I took off the cranberry coat that Eric had given me. It had been a chilly day, so I was grateful that my jacket had kept me warm.

I walked into the living room, half expecting to see either Amelia or Octavia laying on the couch, sleeping, since the TV wasn't on. I turned on the light, but nobody was in the room. That was odd, I thought to myself. I looked around expecting to see where they had left me a note. They weren't the types of people who didn't let me know what was going on with them.

Sure enough, there was. It was laying on the coffee table in a place where I wouldn't miss it. I walked over to the coffee table and picked it up.

_Sookie, _

_Octavia got called back to New Orleans. She had no way of getting there, so I decided to take her in my car. I'm going to check on my house while I'm there too. I want to see how much work the construction workers have done on it. I should be gone for a few days. _

_Hope you won't miss me! _

_Hugs, _

_Amelia_

_PS. There's a casserole in the refrigerator._

That was a shocker. I wondered why Octavia had gotten called back home. I knew that she had a niece, who she'd lived with before me, but I also knew that her niece hadn't had any room for her. That was why she had moved in. A part of me was relieved. Octavia hadn't been one of my _most_ favorite people in the world, but she had helped me out in many ways, including paying the bills. I had to admit that I was going to miss her.

I hoped that Amelia found out all that she needed to as well. I was sure that the construction workers that she'd hired to rebuild her home after Katrina were taking her for a ride. They probably knew that she was Cooper Carmichael's daughter and wanted to get more money out of her, I thought to myself, sarcastically.

I was becoming cynical and sarcastic, I could tell. When you've had as much that has happened to you, like I have, you started to not believe in the good in this world as much anymore. Or...Eric's personality was beginning to rub off on me. Take your pick. For all of Eric's joie de vivre and how excited he got during the action moments, he seemed to look at life as if it were monotonous and boring. It was probably because he'd lived for a thousand years and had pretty much seen and done all that you could do.

I went into my bedroom, took off my uniform and changed into my pajamas. I had no intention of going out for the rest of the night, so I figured that what I wore was fine. I went into the kitchen, and found the casserole that Amelia had mentioned in her note. I heated it up in the microwave and waited for it to finish. After it was done, I carried it into the living room, where I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV.

I had no sooner taken a mouthful of casserole into my mouth, than the phone rang. I expected that it was Eric, calling me to find out how my day had been. I raced over to the phone, and took it off it's receiver.

"Hello?" I asked, with my mouth full of food. I quickly finished chewing so that I could talk to him, but all I heard was a click.

That was weird…I thought to myself. I shrugged it off, as nothing more than a wrong number, and returned to the couch and my casserole once again.

While I ate, I watched the evening news. Not that I was into it or anything, but I sometimes liked to keep tabs on what was happening in the bigger centers. This newscast was from New Orleans.

"Tragedy has struck a small-town in northern Louisiana," the reporter spoke into the camera. "Where a tragic car accident has occurred. Details are sketchy at this time, but once we know more, we'll bring it to you…_live_."

It wasn't the car accident that suddenly perked me up. I sat up straight in my seat. I quit chewing my food and set my plate down on the coffee table. It was the scenery behind the reporter who was live at the scene. It was familiar to me. Very familiar. It looked like a place where I had been to before. I just couldn't place who I knew that lived there.

The newscast moved on to other events and news that were happening in the area. I waited to see if they would go back to the accident or not, but they didn't. I figured that they either didn't know anything more or that it was just such a minor accident, that they didn't care enough to go back to it. They didn't. The newscast ended and I was left up in the air as to what had happened or where it was.

The phone rang again. This time, I wasn't in as much of a rush to get to it, so that by the time I got there, a number of rings had rung.

"Hello?" I greeted, into the phone.

"Hey, lover," Eric purred into the phone. "What took you so long?"

God help me, just the sound of his voice turned me on. "Hey, yourself," I smiled and greeted him back. "I was just eating. How was your sleep?" I asked, knowing that he'd just woken up not too long ago.

"Good…but _alone_," Eric sighed. "I missed you. When are you going to come to relieve me of my boredom?" He flirted, over the phone.

I laughed. "Not tonight. I'm already in my pj's," I replied back, in a teasing mood.

"Are they sexy? Well, then, I should come to _you_," Eric flirted. "Fangtasia isn't busy. I can make time if I wanted to," he offered.

"You would come all this way, just for little ole me?" I flirted, sounding like a southern belle.

Eric laughed. "For you, lover, I would kill a whole army of warriors and I would travel non-stop around the world, until I got to you," he replied back.

The thought of his killing so many people and travelling such a long distance made my heart quiver. "Eric, you shouldn't talk about killing like that. You know that times have changed and that way of thinking doesn't happen anymore," I admonished.

Eric laughed, once again. His voice rich, deep and full. It gave me goose bumps. "Ah, my lover, you know that I'm only teasing," he replied. "But I meant what I said…_nothing_ would keep me away from you. And if you're willing to stay up a little while longer…I'll come see you _tonight_."

"Feeling horny, are you?" I teased back, grinning. My heart was already racing at the thought of it.

"Yes," Eric replied back, in that brutally honest way of his. "It has been too long since we have…_mated_. I find myself fantasizing about you all the time. Would you care to relieve me of this burden that I bear?"

I laughed. "I'm not stopping you. How soon can you get here?" I wondered. My heart sped up in anticipation.

"Before you know it," Eric replied back.

We quickly said our goodbyes, even though we would see each other soon. I hastily cleaned up my house and went into my bedroom to make sure that it was neat and orderly. No use having Eric seeing all of my bras and panties laying around, I thought to myself. I threw them into my laundry basket. I quickly changed into my sexier pieces of underwear. (I had nothing that you would consider sexy lingerie.) My bra and panties were red and lacy. I hoped that he approved.

I lit candles on my nightstand, making it more romantic, when I heard something outside of my window. I looked towards the window, expecting to see Eric arriving, but there was nothing there. Must have been a branch or something, I thought to myself. I shrugged, then went back to lighting more candles.

I gazed around the room, taking it all in. I had tried to make it as romantic as I could. I laid down on the mattress, not knowing whether or not I should lay on the bed or if I should be doing something else. I wondered what Eric had planned.

I could feel him getting closer. My body heated up. I could feel his excitement on the wind, getting stronger…the closer he got to my house. He must've flown, since it was faster than driving from Shreveport in a car.

Eric's power of flying could come in handy sometimes, I thought to myself.

I grinned, as I heard him land. I was suddenly impatient. I quickly put on a robe to meet him at the front door. Opening it, I gazed up at him. He looked amazing in the light that came from my outside light. He grinned down at me, then looked me up and down, as if taking me all in.

"Hello," he grinned down at me. His eyes had a spark in them. I could tell by how he was feeling, that he liked what he saw.

I melted at the sound of his voice. "Would you like to come in?" I invited him in, even though I knew that there'd be no way that I could stop him, if he decided on entering. Although, I could rescind his invitation into my house and he would be forced to leave. But I would never think of doing that with him…not any more.

Eric entered, looked around the living room, then back at me. I closed the door behind him.

"We are alone?" He asked, curiously.

"Yes, and even better…for a few days too," I grinned up at him, knowing how much he would enjoy hearing _that_ news.

Eric took the news in. I could feel that the thought of it made him _very_ happy. I could see the images in his mind of what we could do in my house, that we couldn't have done before. "Where did they go?" He asked, not really caring, but curious, just the same.

"New Orleans. Octavia got called back home for some reason, and Amelia took her. Amelia is going to check up on the construction at her home while she is there," I explained. "She told me that she'll probably be gone for a few days."

"I like it," he replied back, grinning from ear to ear.

"I know," I grinned up at him. I looked away from him. "_What_ will we do to past the time?" I teased him, playfully, coy and innocent.

"Don't worry, lover, I have _lots_ of ideas," he winked down at me. "Would you like to find out now?"

I laughed, then nodded my head.

Before I knew it, he took my face in his hands, turned it up towards his, then bent his head down to kiss me. He was a skilled kisser. I felt weak in my knees, and clung to his shoulders. He deepened the kiss and I moaned.

"Too long…" he moaned, as he lifted his head briefly. He lifted me up, my legs wrapped around his hips, and carried me into my bedroom.

He laid me down on the bed, then stood there gazing down at me. "You have too many clothes on," he said. He untied the belt around the middle of my robe, exposing my body to him. He took in the bra and panties. I knew that he liked what he saw. "Have I ever told you that red is my favorite color?" he asked, curiously.

"No, _really_?" I replied back, gazing up at him. But I said it sarcastically. I kind of figured that it was his favorite, judging by the red of his Corvette. The red of the walls in Fangtasia. The red of the Fangtasia t-shirts that they sold there. And of course, blood was red as well. It wasn't really surprising to me.

Eric laughed. "Yes, _really_. You look good enough to eat."

I couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of him eating me. I knew, from experience, that he was very good at it.

"Well, then I think that you shouldn't hold back." I told him. "Dinner is served," I invited and teased.

He lifted his shirt over his head. I had a nice view of his torso and upper body. He had a nice six pack, or was it twelve? His broad shoulders and biceps revealed that he had a lot of strength. He unbuttoned his fly and lowered the zipper. He slipped his fingers underneath his waistband and pulled his pants down. Not surprisingly, his Jockeys were red.

His gracious plenty, as I liked to call it, was burgeoning and huge in the tight, revealing underwear. I couldn't wait to see more. While the size of him was daunting, I knew that he knew how to use it and use it well. I could feel my body heat up at my anticipation and excitement. Soon, his Jockeys disappeared. He stood, at the foot of my bed, wearing nothing but a sexy smile. God, he was sexy!

He crawled across the bed, his long blond hair falling like a curtain towards me. He gazed at me, as he approached. His eyes had a sexy glint in them. His gaze never moved away from mine. He turned me on so much so, that I felt like I was on fire for him. In fact, I felt like a fever had come over me. I felt dizzy and light-headed and my skin burned. But I didn't want this feeling to end.

He lowered his head, when he reached the apex of my thighs. I could feel his mouth touching my center, through my lacy panties. I raised my hips instinctively. I felt his cool fingers slide underneath, spread my panties aside and placed his mouth and tongue where his fingers had been. My senses swirled. He hooked his fingers through my panties and pulled them down to my knees. His mouth returned, but this time, there wasn't any clothing getting in the way.

I squiggled and squirmed until he raised his head. He gazed up at me, as if checking to see my reaction. _Well, duh…he couldn't tell by my wetness, how fully aroused I was? _It didn't take our bond to realize that. But since we could read each other's minds and knew how each other felt, I knew that it wasn't because of that. He just enjoyed seeing my bodily and facial reactions from what he did to me.

_Awww, isn't he sweet? _Which wasn't something that you would automatically think with a thousand year old Viking vampire. Not that I had a lot of experience with sex, but he was the first and only one, who _did_ take the time to make sure that I enjoyed it too.

He lowered his head, then moved up to my breasts. They were still in the lacy bra. He pulled the bra down, so that my nipples were exposed. He took turns taking each nipple into his mouth. His hand cupped the other. He didn't remove my bra, since the bra made my cleavage look bigger. He feasted on my bounty until I pleaded with him to stop.

I wanted his lips on me. He lifted his head to gaze down at me. His fangs had run out and he looked like he wanted to drink some of my blood. I lifted my hand and touched his fangs, knowing how they could cause both pain and pleasure. I accepted them anyways. They were apart of Eric and I was now to the point where I had learned to accept the bad with the good. I turned my head away, so that Eric could feed.

He bit in and moaned. I knew that he didn't have to feed that often, since he was so old. I wondered how long it had been since he had last fed. _Had it been since the last time that we'd been together? _I hoped so, just because I hated (and admittedly got jealous) at the thought of Eric drinking from anybody else. Fangbanger or not.

I got more aroused at the thought of how he much enjoyed drinking from me. And grateful that he had the self-control and ability to be able to leave it for moments such as these. It made our private moments that much more special to me.

He lifted his head, after licking the wounds on my neck. Then swiftly and strongly, he fully entered me, making me gasp. Not because he was so big, but because of the suddenness of it. He watched me, as I came to completion, because that was all it took. After I began to recover, I could feel my arousal return. He soon began to move inside of me, repeatedly going deeper and stronger. I came again, but this time, he joined in too.

I lay there, spent and exhausted. He realized that he was crushing me, not that I really minded since I missed having him near me. He got settled down next to me in bed and I curled up against him.

I closed my eyes and promptly fell asleep, having had a full day at work and exhausted myself with great sex with my Viking vampire.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Thanks so much for your comments/reviews! I really appreciate it! I'm glad that you're looking forward to what the sequel has in store for Eric and Sookie! I hope you enjoy what I've come up with! I'm glad to see that you're still interested in reading my stories! You have no idea how much that means to me! _

_Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris, I'm only borrowing them for entertainment purposes only! _

_Rated: M_

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**Chapter 2**

I woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Eric must have moved into his hole in the spare bedroom sometime during the night, I figured. My neighbor and former boyfriend, Bill Compton had built it, so that he could spent his days here and not leave my house during the day. Sometimes, it had been too rushed for him to make it home on the other side of the cemetery between his house and mine. Anyways, I think that Eric has now spent many more days in the hole than Bill ever had. Didn't that seem ironic? Bill and Eric always had been competitive when it had come to me. A hole in my spare bedroom was just another symbol of that competition.

Not that I really thought about Bill anymore. Sometimes, Eric would ask him to do certain things for him and I'd run into him at Merlotte's or at Fangtasia, but other than that, he had been basically leaving me alone. I think that Eric must've threatened him or used his authority to ensure that Bill didn't bother me, especially since Bill now knew (it wasn't a huge secret) that Eric and I were now dating. I still hadn't forgiven him for how he had used me in order to do the former queen's wishes. I don't think that I could ever forgive him for that.

I climbed out of bed, took a shower and got dressed. I had some laundry that needed to be done before I went into work at Merlotte's. I headed into the kitchen. On the kitchen table there was a single red rose laying on the table, along with a note.

I picked it up to read it.

_My dear one,_

_I finally figured out how to program your coffee maker so that you would have some coffee ready for you when you woke up. I know how grumpy you can be in the morning and how you like to have something extra to wake you up, but since I won't be able to be there to give you my own special wake up call...this is the next best thing. _

_I also got you this rose, as a thank you for the great night that I had last night. We must do this again soon. Would tonight be okay? I was thinking of taking you out for a night on the town as soon as you are finished work. You are off at seven? I will meet you here at eight. I hope that gives you enough time to make yourself look beautiful, even though you already look beautiful enough for me. _

_Until tonight my lover. _

_Love, _

_E_

I picked up the rose and smelled it. I had no idea how Eric had managed to find a red rose in the middle of winter. Or, how he had managed to get one in the middle of the night either. But I didn't care. It was the thought that counts and this wasn't the first time that Eric had given me flowers, or anything else, for that matter.

Eric was one of the most generous, giving guys that I'd ever met. Not that I had a lot of experience, mind you. It was just one of the things I loved most about him. How thoughtful he was. He was always there whenever I needed him the most. If he couldn't, he would make sure that _someone_ would be there in his absence.

My heart raced at the thought of the date that he had planned tonight. I wondered where we would go or what we would do? Would he take me out for dinner and dancing? Or, was he one of the more laid back types? I really had no idea. We were still trying to get to know each other in more of a romantic kind of way. We hadn't really done any of this kind of thing before. Not that we had had any _choice _in the matter, but now things were different.

You see, we had basically had been forced to get to know each other during business dealings. The more that we'd seen each other, the more we liked and respected each other. Then, the blood-bond thing happened. I had been so confused because I had been in a relationship with Quinn, a were tiger. But I had been drawn to Eric and he had been drawn to me, until finally…my relationship with Quinn ended and I had been kidnapped. That was when I realized just how much I really cared for Eric.

I guess that the old saying must be true. _You don't know what you really have until it's gone_. While I had been kidnapped, I had had nothing to do but think…and I had plenty of time for that. I had figured that I would never see anyone that I knew ever again. I would die down in the basement where I was being held, without getting the chance to say goodbye and I would be all alone. If there was one thing that I feared of the most, it was ending up alone.

That's when I realized that the person that I missed and needed the most was Eric. The one who I had fallen in love with while his memory was erased. It was while I was laying down there that I suddenly realized that that my Eric was indeed _still _there, but hidden underneath all of the real Eric's other layers. The ones that he had used to protect himself and those he cared about the most. No wonder he had lived to be over a thousand years old. There weren't too many people who ever got close enough to know that Eric was really a good, decent man and to see underneath all of those layers. But because he'd had his memory erased and had no idea why he should keep his walls up in the first place, I had seen firsthand the kind of man that he really was deep down. A part of me had always known that I'd seen glimpses of him, but I hadn't been able to recognize it for what it was. I was actually thankful now that I had been kidnapped. Funny, how that works?

Eric had even left the morning paper laying on the kitchen table for me to read while I had my morning coffee and prepared myself some cereal. I flipped it open and looked at some of the headlines. Nothing really caught my eye until I noticed something about a small town near Bon Temps.

It was about the accident that I had found out about on the news last night before. It had been broadcasted right before Eric had called.

The headline read: TRAGEDY STRIKES RED DITCH.

Red Ditch was really familiar to me, I thought to myself. I briefly remembered the reason why I'd gone there. My cousin, Hadley had been married and then had been turned into a vampire by Queen Sophie Anne. Before she had been turned, she'd given birth to a son named, Hunter. He lived with his father, Remy Savoy, who resided in the small town of Red Ditch. It wasn't far from here.

I had gone there to visit and to meet Hunter for the very first time. That was when I had learned that Hunter had inherited one very interesting trait. He had the ability to read minds like I did. I had offered his father some advice and had explained that I would be able to help them out when Hunter grew older and would need more guidance with his telepathy. His father had refused at the time, but I knew that he would need me one day.

I continued to read the article underneath the headline.

_Tragedy has struck the small town of Red Ditch last night. A young couple, driving home on highway 11, was struck by an oncoming vehicle in a head on collision. The driver of the other vehicle was said to be drunk at the time of the accident and was admitted into the hospital in Shreveport, in critical condition. The names of the deceased have not been released, as family members have not been contacted as of yet. The car that the young couple was in, said to have rolled five times before coming to a stop in the ditch. _

I would've read more, but the doorbell rang. I was curious as to who would be at my doorstep at that time of morning. I got up to answer it. I looked through the peephole before opening the door. I knew, besides being able to read the policeman's mind, just _who_ were the victims in the car the night before. I felt the sense of dread come on.

I decided to be brave, took a deep breath and opened up the door. "Hello," I greeted the policeman, politely. It wasn't one of the ones from Bon Temps. I figured that it was one of the highway patrol's men.

"Miss Sookie Stackhouse, I presume?" he asked, curiously.

I nodded my head.

"Would you mind if I came inside? I have some…news to tell you, that you should know about."

I stood back, to allow him to walk through the entryway. He took a quick glance around before turning back towards me. I waited for him to speak, still shocked at the knowledge of what I knew.

"Miss Stackhouse…" he began. "I'm terribly sorry to inform you that…last night, Remy Savoy and Kirsten Duchesne have perished in a horrible car accident. We are letting you know because we understand that you are somewhat related?" the officer made it sound like a question. I nodded my head, while tears formed in my eyes. The officer nodded his head too. "We're terribly sorry for your loss. We will notify you when their bodies will be released for their respective burials."

The officer made a move to exit, but I cut him off before he could. "Excuse me, sir?" I asked, curiously and almost scared to ask this question. "But was there…a little boy in the car with them? Remy had a son named, Hunter. I was wondering…is he dead too?" I waited patiently for the policeman to answer.

I could see from his thoughts that it wasn't true. I breathed a sigh of relief before he answered me.

"No, he has been taken into foster care, where we will be well taken care of," he informed me. "Well, I'll be off. Thank you for your time. I offer you my deepest condolences." With that, the officer made his way to his waiting police car and drove away.

I paced around my living room in a daze. I was terribly worried about Hunter. He was all alone now. He had no family, other than me and Jason. I couldn't help it. I burst into tears at the thought. What would happen to Hunter now?

I collapsed on to the chair nearest me and cried my eyes out. I didn't know what else to do. I felt like I was letting Hunter down, when I had promised him that I would help take care of him, if and when the time came. But _now _what? How would I _ever_ be able to find him in the system? I've heard many stories over the years of children getting lost and never finding their siblings or loved ones ever again.

I had a sudden idea that came to mind. What if I were to take Hunter in? I could look after him, couldn't I? When he needed help with his telepathy, I would be right there. I was related to him. I could tell him stories about Gran, my aunt (his grandma) Linda, and his mother, Hadley. He would know where he came from and how much he was loved.

Wait a minute…what am I _thinking?_ I asked myself. I'm thinking of taking in a _child_. Who I'd briefly met for a few moments in his young life. How would I support him, when I could barely support myself? I was a single woman, working as a barmaid. I was sure that the court system would see that as a bad thing and would _never_ award me guardianship. How would I be able to afford the high cost of lawyer fees to begin with?

I used to babysit Arlene's kids in the past, before our friendship was ruined, but that was all of my experience with children that I've ever had. How would I know that I'd even make a good parent? More to the point, what would people in Bon Temps think? What would _Eric_ think about it?

No, I sighed. Maybe it would be better if foster care found someone who could adopt him.

I looked at the clock on the wall and realized that it was time to get ready for work. I quickly changed and got ready. I checked the refrigerator to make sure that there was some Tru-Blood in there for Eric when he woke up.

I wrote him a note.

_Sweety,_

_Off to work, although I'm not in the best of moods, as you'll know as soon as you wake up. I heard some sad news today. I'll tell you all about it, when we go out on our date later tonight. _

_Speaking of which, I'm really excited for it and can't wait for our date tonight. I hope it cheers me up. What do you have planned? _

_Thanks for the coffee and the rose. I'm sorry, I just left you a Tru-Blood. It needs to be warmed up and I'll need to buy more on the way home from work. Just thought I'd let you know that I may be a little late. _

_Love,_

_Sookie_

I left the note on the kitchen table, like he'd left mine, headed out the backdoor, to my car in the driveway.

My day at work was uneventful, except Sam called me into his office, when my shift was almost over.

"I heard," Sam offered, from his side of the desk.

"Heard about what?" I asked, puzzled and confused.

"About that accident. You knew the couple who died."

I looked away from him. I didn't know that Sam had known anything about it. I couldn't recall ever mentioning it to him before. "How did you know?" I asked, curiously.

"Amelia," he answered, as if that explained everything. "One night she came in and had a little too much to drink. I think it was around the time of your kidnapping…anyways, she mentioned a lot of things that night and also how excited you were because you had found another relative. And right before you walked in for work today, they announced the names of the deceased." He explained.

I wished that Amelia was there right at that moment. It hadn't been Amelia's place to blab it all around town. I was now angry at my close friend. I frowned, but didn't say anything to Sam. He stared at me, expecting me to elaborate, but I remained silent.

"So, it's not true?" Sam insisted.

"Amelia shouldn't have opened her big, fat mouth," was all that I would reply. "I thought you weren't really into gossip, Sam?"

"I'm not."

"Then, what's with the third degree?" I asked back.

Sam shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just curious to see if you will be needing any time off," he explained.

"How would I be able to pay my bills?" I reminded him. "Even if I wanted to--I just can't afford it."

"Why don't you get Eric to help you?" Sam suggested. "I'm sure that he would be willing."

"Of course, he'd be willing!" I shouted at him. "But then, I'd be a _kept woman_. I don't want that. And for your information--he's also offered me a job at Fangtasia and more money too. I turned that down as well."

I could tell that I'd stunned Sam. He was staring at me, like I'd grown two heads.

"He did?"

I could tell that he wished that he had the financial freedom to do the same. I nodded my head. "Call me, crazy or whatever--but I have no desire to work in a vampire bar. No matter how much I got paid. Besides, what would you do with one less waitress?"

Sam choose to move on to a different topic of conversation. We weren't going to solve anything. We were both happy with our work situation as it was. That was enough for now.

"Getting back to the accident…"

I glared at Sam. "I don't want to talk about it. Amelia still has a really big mouth. But on second thought…maybe a few days off would be just the thing that I need?" I suggested, changing my mind as I realized that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea. I was an emotional wreck after hearing about Remy's and Kirsten's accident.

Sam nodded his head, sympathy in his gaze.

I put my apron away and took my purse from his desk, then left the bar.

I stopped off at the Grabbitkwik on the way home and bought some Tru-Blood for Eric, since he would be staying at my house for a few days. I wasn't really prepared for company, even though that company would be making me happy and take my mind off of things for awhile. I also rented a couple of movies.

I stopped in at Tara's store, to see if there were any dresses that I could wear that were in my price range. Sometimes Tara kept a secret stash just for me.

When I walked in, Tara was with another customer. I looked around at some of the clothes, to see if there was anything that I could wear that night.

"Hey," Tara greeted me, after the customer had left. "What brings you by?" she smiled.

"I need clothes. A dress. Something sexy for a date that I'm having tonight," I explained.

"Oh, who is the new man?" Tara asked, curiously.

"I wouldn't exactly say he's _new_…" I hedged. I was fearful of her reaction. She didn't say anything, just stood there looking at me, expectantly. "His name is Eric Northman and you've met him…kind of." Although, I wasn't entirely sure if Tara would remember. "He's a vampire."

I closed my eyes and waited for Tara to start screaming at me and telling me that I was doing a really stupid thing. But she didn't. I opened my eyes. She just stood there looking at me expectantly and patiently to continue on with my story.

I decided to continue on while I still had the guts. I took a deep breath before continuing. "You see, he and I have exchanged blood more than three times, which means that we're bonded to each other. When it first happened, I was very resentful of our bond. But now--since I've been kidnapped and he found me--I've discovered that it's more than that. He's _always_ been there for me. He's amazing in bed. He puts me first…" I paused, trying to come up with more reasons to convince her to be fine with it. "He's _nothing _like Bill. I know that what I'm getting into and I've _never_ been happier in my entire life."

Tara stood there a moment, not saying anything at all, after my last minute, flung together speech. "Are you finished?" she asked, patiently.

I nodded my head.

"Good," Tara turned towards a rack of dresses and pulled one out. "I think this would look amazing on you." She said.

I stared at her, kind of speechless. "You're not going to tell me that I'm stupid? You're not going to tell me not to see him?" I asked, incredulously.

Tara shook her head. "No, I can tell that you won't listen to me. I have to admit that the vampires that you know are different from the ones that I do. If you say that you're happy…who am I to argue with that?" She shrugged. "Besides, I seem to recall that this Eric is handsome in a Nordic kind of way."

I stared at her, not quite knowing what to say.

"Anyways, I think that you will go your own road. You always have. I know how the guys around here have never appreciated your charms. I'm glad that _someone_ values you enough to want to make the effort." She continued. "Here, try this dress on." She held the dress out towards me. "I think the color makes your eyes look bluer."

I reluctantly took the dress from her and headed towards the change rooms. I tried it on and checked myself out in the mirror; turning this way and that, so that I could see from different angles.

"Come out here so that I can see," Tara called out from the other side of the door. I stepped out of the room, so that she could look at me. Tara grinned when she saw what I looked like. "If he weren't dead already…you'd knock him dead," she joked, laughing at her own joke.

I looked at my reflection in the three-way mirror. "You_ really_ think so?" I asked, while I gazed at myself.

"I sure do," Tara replied back. "Would you like to put this on Eric's account or on your own?" She asked, already knowing what I would do.

I checked out the price on the tag and thought about it for all of three seconds. Since I was taking more days off and Eric had set up an account and everything…why not let _him_ pay? "Eric's," I replied. What's the point of having an expense account, if I wasn't going to use it? Besides, Eric wouldn't mind, especially if it were for _his_ benefit.

Tara nodded her head, while I ducked back into the change room. I quickly changed back into my uniform and headed towards the cashier desk. "I don't suppose you'd want to buy accessories to go with it?" she offered.

I shook my head. It was one thing to buy a dress that was way out of my price range, for a date with the man who was going to eventually pay for it; but it was another thing entirely to buy more things on top of that. I hated the fact that I couldn't afford decent things for myself. "No, that will do. I have a nice purse and shoes at home," I explained.

Tara rung in my purchase, then handed me my dress. "I hope you have a great time."

"Thanks." I started to walk towards the door when it opened up and Bill Compton walked through.

I was surprised to see him. Although, it was now dark and he was Tara's landlord, so I shouldn't have been. I stared up at him, curiously, wondering if he was going to say anything to me or not.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks so much for all of your reviews! I really appreciate reading them! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far! _

_Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm only borrowing them for awhile! I own nothing! _

_Rated: M_

_**************************************************************************************************************************************************  
_

**Chapter 3**

Tara rung in my purchase, then handed me back my new dress. "I hope you have a great time tonight."

"Thanks." I took the dress and started to walk towards the door, when it suddenly opened up and Bill Compton walked through.

I was surprised to see him. Although, it was now dark and he was Tara's landlord, so I _shouldn't_ have been. I stared up at him, curiously, wondering if he was going to say anything to me or not.

He did.

"Hello, Sookie," he greeted me in that cold, polite way of his. "How are you?"

"I'm good, and you?" I asked.

"Good."

"Well, I've got to go. Eric is taking me out on a date tonight and I've got to get ready." I explained, as if I had to explain everything to him.

"A date?" Bill repeated, as if he were slow or hard of hearing, which was far from the truth. He frowned. I could tell that he didn't like hearing that Eric was making our relationship public. "I've never heard of Eric taking anyone out before…" he commented, almost to himself.

"Yeah, well…now he is," I replied back, ready to leave the store and out of Bill's sight. I didn't like how Bill had to criticize every little thing that Eric said or did. Eric was his sheriff. He had to answer to him. I felt perturbed that Bill thought that he was better than Eric in any way, shape or form. I felt angry on Eric's behalf and protective of him too. "Thanks Tara," I called out behind me, as I walked out of the store and towards my car.

Don't get me wrong…since I'd had Bill's blood too, I still thought of him in a special way. He had been my first love, if you could call it that. Sent by Queen Sophie-Anne, to ensure that I would be useful to her and her kingdom, Bill had seduced me. I had fallen for it; hook, line and sinker. Maybe it had something to do with my inexperience with men? Maybe it was the fact that he was the first man that I had met, where I couldn't read his thoughts? Maybe I had just been lonely and bored and he had helped fill the void? I don't know…but now the sight of him, made me feel awkward and uncomfortable, but yet, I knew that he cared for me. It was really confusing.

He would tell me that he loved me, which would force me to look at him differently…but when he did it in front of Eric in order to prove who loved Sookie more, in a game-like competition…it was annoying. I could tell that all it did was make Eric mad at Bill. Eric was not the kind of man who minced words or said things that he didn't mean. Didn't Bill realize that? Did Bill say things that he actually meant?

I forced my mind back on my plans and expectations for my date. I wondered where Eric would take me and what we would do.

As I got closer to my house, the more excited I became. It wasn't my excitement on it's own. It was Eric's too. He was happy and excited and full of plans.

"_I'm home, just coming up the driveway now," _I told him in my mind.

"_Good, I've missed you and after reading your note…I'm concerned about you," _he replied back in his.

"_I'll tell you as soon as I get there. Then, I'll change into my new dress I bought, which reminds me…you should know that I put it on your account over at Tara's Togs. I wanted to wear something nice…" _I offered, in my way of explaining. I still felt guilty that I couldn't afford decent things.

"_Dear one, you don't have to explain anything to me." _He replied. _"I can't wait to see you in it and then later on…take you out of it." _

I couldn't help it, I laughed. Trust Eric to have a one-track mind. I rolled my eyes, then came to a stop in my driveway. I grabbed my new dress and climbed out of the car. I walked towards the door.

I realized that I had forgotten Eric's Tru-Blood as soon as I had reached the door. I quickly dashed back to the car and picked it up out of the passenger seat, where I had placed it after I had bought it. I grabbed the movie rentals as well.

This time, Eric stood in the now open doorway, watching me as I walked towards the door. I smiled up at him. He was still in his t-shirt and jeans and looked just as sexy as ever.

"Hi," I greeted him. I stood up on my tippy-toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I handed him the case of Tru-Blood. "Here, you better put this in the refrigerator," I suggested.

"You know how sexy you look bent over to get the stuff out of the car?" he offered. "Nice ass-ets," he winked down at me.

I laughed once again and rolled my eyes. "Well, this _ass-et _is glad that you're awake. You're just the kind of medicine that she needed."

"What happened?" He asked, curiously. His wicked smile was now gone and he was full of concern. "What was the sad news?"

I walked into my bedroom. Eric quickly put the Tru Blood in the fridge then followed me in. "I found out that there was a car accident…not far from here." I paused, trying to figure out how to best explain it. I couldn't remember if I had ever told Eric about Hunter or not. "It's a long story…"

"Go on, we have time," Eric glanced at his watch, just to be sure. "We don't have to be there for another hour or so."

"Where are we going?" I asked, curiously.

"Nah-uh," Eric shook his head. He was starting to sound a lot like me. His mannerisms and lingo were beginning to be the same too. "What happened?"

I sat down on my bed and he sat down next to me. I took his hand in mine and turned to look him in the eyes. "You remember Hadley?" I asked, already knowing that he would. He had met her after she had been turned. She had been in many of his meetings with the Queen, since she was her paramore and Eric was Sheriff of one of the Queen's Areas.

He nodded his head, then patiently waited for me to explain.

"Well, before Sophie-Anne turned her, she had been married. She even had a baby. His name is Hunter. He's about four years old," I paused, as tears came to my eyes. Eric squeezed my hand, giving me courage to continue.

"Hunter has been living with his father since the day that he was born," I explained. "Last night…" I paused once again, while my emotions gripped me. "Remy, his father, and his girlfriend, Kirsten were killed…in a car accident," I cried out as my tears started to roll down my face.

Eric wrapped his arms around me and I cried into his shoulder. He comforted me, while I let out all of my anguished emotions. I pulled back, then gathered myself enough to continue. "They were killed by a drunk driver, they think. Since I'm one of the last next of kin, the police came here to tell me this terrible news." I shuddered. "The officer told me that Hunter is now in foster care." I began to cry again, at the thought of it.

"Shush," Eric comforted me. "It's going to be alright."

"No, it's _not _going to be alright," I cried out. I lifted my head again from his shoulder. "You see, there's more…lots more."

"What?" Eric asked, curiously.

"You see…Hunter is special. He's a…he's a telepath, just like me," I explained. "I met him briefly a number of weeks ago. That's when I realized that he was telepathic. I suggested to Remy, his father, that he keep my name and number in case he needed help with Hunter when things got too difficult for him. Which they would've." I took a deep breath. "But now…if he's lost in the system…there's no way that I can be there for him and there's nothing that I can do to help him." I started to cry again, at the helplessness that I felt.

"Sookie," Eric said, softly. "I know that you feel helpless, but what can you do?" he asked. "What would you like for him?"

"What I would like…" I paused, trying to find the right words. I wondered how Eric was going to react to this part. "I would like for Hunter to live here…with me."

I purposely kept my gaze away from his. Partly, because I didn't want to see his reaction and partly, because I was scared.

Eric was silent. He kept his thoughts closed off from me. I wasn't sure if I was grateful or not. All I could tell, was what he was feeling. I could feel his shock, fear, concern, and amazingly, his love. I dared to look up at him, to see what his face revealed.

"You want him to live here." Eric repeated, his tone not giving away any of his feelings. "And how would you support him?"

"I don't know," I shrugged my shoulders. "I was just voicing what I wanted for him. I didn't say that it was practical or that it was a great idea or anything. I just think that if he had family close by--someone who's telepathic, like me--it would be better for him, than living with a foster family, that's all."

I was kind of put out, by Eric's lack of feeling, but then again, I wasn't. He didn't particularly care for my brother, Jason either. There was a lot of things that I didn't understand - reasons why Eric thought the way that he did. He had always looked out for himself, first. If you affected him directly, then he cared about you. That was the way he was and always had been since the day that I'd first met him. If you didn't figure into his plans, then he pretty much left you alone.

"Sookie," Eric sighed. "I know that you have a good, kind, and caring heart. It's one of the things that I love most about you. You care about your family, even when they do you wrong. You try your best to protect them. But this…are you wanting a family of your own? Is that what you're saying?" He looked puzzled. "Is this your way of saying that you are wanting children?"

"No!" I exclaimed, although I _had_ thought about it a time or two. I had to admit. But I also knew how unrealistic the notion was. Especially because the man that I'd always pictured as the father, wasn't able to give me any. Sometimes, loving a vampire had it's drawbacks.

"And you can't afford it. You keep refusing the money that I offer you. Raising a child these days is expensive. You have no idea what you would be in for. Have you ever looked after children in your life?"

"Yes, I have," I argued back. "I've babysat Arlene's kids." I told him.

"But not full-time. You wouldn't be able to return him if you couldn't handle him. It would be a major responsibility for you."

"I know that!" I shouted at him. I stood up and glared down at him. "Don't you think that I've thought about it? I know that there's probably no way that a family court would ward me custody, when I'm single woman and I work as a barmaid, anyways! I was just sayin'…that I thought about it after I heard about the accident. I didn't say that I'd pursue it or do anything about it!"

Eric stared at me, silently and calmly, throughout my tirade. "Are you finished?" He asked, calmly.

"No!" I shouted back at him. "I know that you probably don't want to have children either and that it would put a major kink in our love life, but that's how I feel. I'm just telling you!" I was frustrated and had done enough explaining. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'm going to shower, get ready and then we can go out on our date!" I shouted at him, as I grabbed my dress and disappeared into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

I don't know how long I took, but when I came out of my bathroom, Eric was no longer in the room. I figured that he had gone into the spare bedroom, and was changing into his own clothes.

The shower had calmed down my temper. I knew that Eric was right. There was no reason why I should've shouted at him, when he did care about me and that he was only looking out for me. I had thought the same things too. I was just frustrated and felt helpless. I was losing another family member. One that I had something in common with; who was very also very young and helpless. My motherly instincts were kicking in. I was also sad that I wouldn't be able to have children of my own, not if I were still with Eric, in a committed relationship.

I gazed at myself in the mirror by my dresser. I hoped that Eric liked what he saw. I walked out into the living room, where Eric stood, looking into the lit fireplace.

The house was cold. I appreciated his thoughtfulness.

He turned around when he sensed me standing there. His eyes travelled up and down my length, from head to toe. "Lover, you look beautiful," he said, softly. "The dress I bought you looks amazing on you." His eyes glinted and I could see the love he felt for me in them.

"Thanks," I blushed. My heart raced, as I took him in too. He was dressed in a dark suit and tie. He looked very GQ. His hair was braided, like how he'd done it before. It briefly reminded me that he still hadn't shown me how to braid it like that. "Where are you taking me?" I asked. I couldn't imagine, because there weren't many ritzy places in Bon Temps that we could go to, dressed up like we were.

"That's a surprise," he winked at me. "Come on, let's go, we're already running late."

I took his arm and he led me out of the front door. I was surprised to see his red Corvette in my driveway. "When did you go home to get this?" I wondered.

"While you were getting ready." Eric held the passenger door open for me. I sat down in the luxurious seat. He flew around to the driver's side and turned towards me. "Bucket up." He reached across me and grabbed my seatbelt and strapped me in.

It was a good thing that he had. He drove at a breakneck speed. I was surprised that we hadn't been pulled over by the cops.

I realized that we were leaving Bon Temps and were driving towards Shreveport. I turned to stare at him in the darkness. Only the lights from the dashboard and the headlights, allowed me to see the grin upon his face. "_Where_ are you taking me?" I asked again.

"I told you…that it's a surprise."

I was definitely surprised when we drove into Shreveport and pulled into Fangtasia's parking lot. I turned to look at him, not very happy. "You _couldn't_ have forgotten all about your business until _after_ our date?" I asked, both angry and disappointed.

"Who said that I'm here to work?" Eric tossed back, disappointed that I wasn't happy by the location. "I'm the owner. I told Pam to close it down for a few hours so that we could have the whole place to ourselves. I hear that the food is really good too. Besides, Pam wanted to see you again."

I felt guilty all of a sudden. I knew that Eric had had the best of intentions. And I always liked to talk to Pam. She was the closest thing to a friend in the vampire world that I had. "I'm sorry." I reached over and took his cool hand in mine. "It's just not what I had expected. I'm sure that I'll love whatever you have planned." I tried to reassure him.

"I hope so," Eric said, then squeezed my hand back. "Come, I have more surprises for you." He stepped out of the car and walked around to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door and waited for me to climb out of the car. I climbed out, awkwardly, because I was wearing a dress that I didn't want to ruin. It had risen up a little bit too high, exposing my thighs, in the car.

Eric, of course, noticed and grinned down naughtily at me. I felt my heartbeat quicken.

He took my hand and led me inside. As if on cue, Pam greeted us at the door. "Welcome to Fangtasia, the bar is closed for the night so that my boss can get some nookie." She joked, but then reached towards me and hugged me. "You look good enough to eat," she whispered in my ear. "How did you manage to get Eric to arrange this date for you?" She gazed at me, curiously.

I guessed that Eric's actions were unusual. Bill had mentioned something earlier too. I glanced over at Eric to see if I could read it in his mind. Nope. He purposely kept it closed off from me, so that I wouldn't know what he was planning. "I have _no _idea…" I shook my head at her. I didn't miss the unspoken look Eric threw at Pam, which made it known that he didn't appreciate Pam pointing out how out of character it was for him.

Pam immediately grew serious. "Let me lead you to your table." Pam motioned for us to follow her, playing the perfect hostess. Eric held the chair out for me, while I sat down, then sat down across from me. We were right, smack dab in the middle of the Fangtasia dance floor. "Tonight's special consists of lasagne and salad." Pam gagged at the words. "Would you like a drink from the bar?"

I looked over towards the bar where Felicia was standing there, eyeing me warily. She was scared of me, because she knew that I was partly responsible for three Fangtasia bartenders getting killed, since I'd known Eric and Pam. "A gin and tonic," I replied.

Pam scurried off to get my drink. I turned back towards Eric, who gazed at me from across the table. He reached across the table and took my hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry about earlier. I was just trying to be the voice of reason." He explained. "I wanted you to think about it more before you did anything about it. It would be a life-altering thing for us."

"Is that something that you would like?" I asked, because I wanted to know. "Is having a child something that you have always wanted, but never had the chance to have?"

Eric thought about it for a moment or two. "I do and I don't. I'm glad that I'm not able to have any children because I'm not sure what kind of father that I would be. Not in this day and age. All I know how to do is to fight in battles and run a lucrative business. I don't think that I would be able to do all the rest." He paused, then grinned at me. "But I do know that their blood is very tasty and sweet."

"Ewww…yuck," I exclaimed. I pulled my hand out of his. "Must you _always_ think about how people taste?" I cried. "We are _not_ cows. We have _feelings_, _thoughts _and _dreams_, you know." I was totally disgusted.

Eric laughed. "I'm just teasing."

"You better be."

Pam returned to our table with my gin and tonic and placed it down in front of me.

Eric looked up at her. "Do you know what Sookie wants to do?" He asked.

Pam shook her head.

"She wants to adopt a child. You know, a little human being who runs around and plays?"

Pam looked towards me in surprise. "I hear that their blood is very sweet and tasty." She echoed Eric's earlier sentiment. "But I've never had the pleasure. Why would you want a child, Sookie?"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead with my hand in frustration. I could tell that Pam had the same thoughts as her maker. "It's nothing…Eric wasn't supposed to say a word because I was only thinking about it." I looked up at her. "What's Eric like as a father?" I asked, knowing how that question would make him feel.

Pam shrugged. "He yells. He makes me do stupid things for a human woman that I see no point in. But he _does_ pay good and gives me some of the profit." She said, as she thought about it.

I wondered what Eric thought, sitting right there in front of us. "And if you were a child of four or five years old?" I asked.

"Well, he _does_ love to play games…" Pam answered. "Sometimes, he's like a big kid himself, when he's not too busy rolling heads."

I looked at Eric, to see how well he was taking our teasing of him. He didn't appear to be bothered by it at all.

"Thank you, Pam. Now, leave." Eric ordered, instead.

"Yes, master," she bowed, then walked away from our table.

"I really wish that you would not encourage her," he admonished.

"In what way?" I asked, innocently. I shrugged. "We like to have fun and that's what we consider fun, so what?"

Eric sighed, then reached for a black velvet box on the table, that I hadn't noticed until now. He handed it over to me. "Let's get back to the real reason why we're here." He replied, changing the subject. He paused, while he looked at the box and then back at me. It was a jewelery box. "I wanted to buy you something nice. I hope you like it."

I was speechless. I stared at the box that he held out towards me in shock. Slowly, I reached up and took the box from his hand. I slowly opened up the lid and peered inside.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments! I really appreciate them! I'm glad that you're enjoying this story! I guess that I have the same problem with continuity that Charlaine Harris has! LOL I had forgotten that Eric and Tara met while he was buying Sookie clothes for his home. Good point to the reader who reminded me of that! Sorry for any confusion this may have caused. To save me a lot of time rewriting, I'll just say that Eric glamoured her. That way, she wouldn't remember him, so that she could keep it a secret from Sookie! LOL  
_

_Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris! I'm only borrowing them for awhile. _

_Rated: M_

_Warning: I'm sorry in advance for any cliffhangers that I end chapters with! _

_****************************************************************************************************************************************************  
_

**Chapter 4**

I opened up the jewelery box that Eric had given to me over dinner during our date at Fangtasia. I stared speechlessly, at what was inside.

"Eric, you _shouldn't_ have," I gasped, as I gazed at the object. I took it out of the box and held it up to look at it, in the dim lights.

Eric shrugged. "It's nothing…I wanted you to have something nice. There's something else inside there too."

I checked inside the box for whatever else that he had given me. I was speechless. They were the prettiest and most expensive things that I've ever owned before. "I'm sorry…but I can't take them." I tried to hand him back the gift that he'd given me. "It's too much." I shook my head in denial.

"Nothing's too much," Eric dismissed my refusal with a wave of his hand. He stood up and walked around to stand behind me. "Here, let me put them on you."

He took it out of my hand and placed it around my neck. One item was a ruby and diamond necklace. The other gift, were earrings to match. They looked like something that royalty would wear, not a little ole barmaid like me.

"Eric…" I tried to protest, once again.

Eric ignored me. Instead, he put the matching earrings in my ear. "They match perfectly with your dress," Eric complimented me. "Perfect."

I glanced down at the dress that I'd bought. It was red too. A deep red. It was almost the color of blood. The darker shade emphasized the blue of my eyes and my blonde hair really stood out.

Eric bent down and kissed the side of my neck, which caused me to shiver. "Perfect," he repeated.

I didn't know what to say. "Thank you, Eric." I decided to be the polite young woman that my Gran had raised me to be. "I really don't know what to say… This is the nicest thing that anybody's ever done for me." I told him, gratefully. Tears sprang to my eyes at the thought of his generosity.

Eric grinned at me from the other side of the table, since he had returned to his seat. "Then, you have been living wrong. You need to hang out with me more. I would show you what it's like to be appreciated for _who_ you _are_. I would show you everyday, what a special woman you are, Sookie Stackhouse."

I blushed, because I wasn't used to hearing such praise coming from anyone. All I heard all day long was dark, depressing things. Or, things that disgusted you. Things that you were better off not knowing. It was refreshing. I felt pretty sure that Eric was helping me feel relaxed and carefree. I was felt happier than I'd ever been. But don't tell Eric…I think that I was starting to really appreciate our bond when he would try to project his feelings on to me. It made things seem a whole lot easier.

"Dinner is served…" Pam approached our table; pushing a cart. There was a plate on the table, with a cover over top of it.

Normally, I would've gotten a kick out of seeing Pam acting like a maid. It was something that she had been the furthest thing from, when she had been alive. I knew that she was disgusted at having to do it and for a human too. Even though, I was one of the very few humans that she actually tolerated. I looked over at Eric, who looked up at Pam, proudly.

I knew that Eric must have ordered Pam to do it. I looked up at her, while she placed the plate down in front of me. She didn't have a very happy look on her face and she kept glaring at Eric, like he was making her do something that she _really_ didn't want to do.

I stifled a grin, to keep myself from laughing. Pam was biting her tongue. She kept casting mean looks towards him. Eric was purposely ignoring her, like she was a child who was throwing a temper tantrum.

"Thank you, Pam," I told her, appreciatively. "This looks amazing."

"You're welcome, Sookie," Pam turned to me. "I hope you like it." Pam wandered off, giving us some privacy.

"Eric, you shouldn't make Pam act as our waitress," I scolded him. "You know that she's angry and upset with you."

"She will get over it," Eric reassured me, dismissing it. "Eat, Sookie. I had the cook prepare you a special meal." Which wasn't surprising because there were only vampires in Fangtasia right at that moment. The fangbangers who usually worked there had either been given the night off or weren't coming in until the club reopened.

I picked up a fork and took a bite. It tasted delicious. Eric watched me eat. He was gazing at me very intently.

"What?" I asked him, my mouth full of food.

"Nothing…I just enjoy watching you eat," he explained, with a shrug. He raised his wine glass full of blood and took a sip, then set it down again. "The way your lips move… While you're chewing your food… The way your tongue licks your lips…it's all very… _Arousing _to me."

I didn't know what to say to that. The mood in the room suddenly became very sexual. I felt my body temperature rise. My heartbeat started to race.

"Dance with me?" Eric asked, as he reached his hand out across the table. I wanted any excuse just to touch him. That's how much his comment had aroused my desires.

I put my napkin down on the table and placed my hand in his. He led me out on to the dance floor, where magically, music began to play. It was a slow song: romantic and smooth. The music seemed to become a part of me, making me forget about everybody and everything. All of my attention was on the dance that Eric and I were sharing together.

We danced for awhile. The songs switched from being slow and romantic, to fast and fun. Eric and I danced in harmony, as if we'd been doing it for awhile. It seemed natural. I laughed and giggled. It was the most fun I'd had in a long time.

The music died away and we both stopped. I looked up into Eric's eyes, while he gazed down at me. The mood in the room had taken on a more serious, but sexually charged one. His head lowered and our lips met. I wrapped both arms around his neck. His circled my waist, and pulled me up against him.

One of us moaned, but I couldn't be sure of which one it was. Our kiss deepened, our tongues met, our heads tilted to give us better angles. Eric lifted me up, until my feet were up off of the floor. I felt his gracious plenty rub against me. My breasts were plastered up against his chest. I wanted him to take me.

I wasn't sure how long we stood there like that, but we both broke apart when Pam made an, "ahem" sound.

Eric dropped me to my feet and I spun around to look over at her. I could tell that Eric wasn't happy that Pam had interrupted. All I felt was embarrassed that she had caught us in a clinch.

"What is it, Pam?" Eric demanded, angrily. He didn't like it that whatever he had planned, had been interrupted.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, master, but there's a…" This was where Pam looked uncertain. She looked from Eric to me, than back again. "A situation that you have to deal with," she finished, lamely.

"This can't wait?" Eric growled. "You know that I'm busy."

"No, I'm sorry, it can't."

Eric looked down at me, apologetically. "Wait here. I will go see what is going on, then we'll pick up right where we left off," he explained.

I could feel how badly he felt. I also knew that Eric felt responsible for a lot of things. He had a lot to deal with. I watched, as he left the dance floor and headed into his office.

Pam and Felicia followed, leaving me alone on the dance floor and in the bar area. It was the first time that I'd ever had the time to really take a good look around. I noticed that there were pictures on the walls and the upholstery had been recently replaced. It looked like Eric had spent a lot of money, investing in his bar, making sure that it would be successful.

The dim lights made my new necklace sparkle; catching my eye. I looked down and held it up away from my chest to take a better look at it. The ruby stone in the center, was surrounded by glittery diamonds. It was in the shape of a heart. Even the ruby was in the shape of a heart. It felt heavy on my chest. The necklace must've cost him a fortune.

It reminded me of the necklace from the movie, "Titanic", except this one had a ruby in the center, instead of a darker stone. And it wasn't quite _that_ big either. This one was probably half the size as the one in the movie. I wondered if Eric had ever seen the movie, or if he had been on board the Titanic to begin with. There were a lot of things that I didn't know about him. I wanted to learn more.

My cell phone rang. I dug into my purse and picked it up without looking at the call display.

"Hello?" I asked.

I heard nothing but a click on the other end. I gazed at the phone, wondering if the number had shown up on my call display. It had not. All it said was, 'unknown name; unknown number'. _That was strange… _I thought to myself. The only people who knew my number, would've talked to me. Maybe they had been interrupted and had to end the call before I answered?

I put it back into my purse. I figured that if it had been important, they would just have to call me back.

Just then, Eric came back out of his office and walked over towards me. He had a sad look on his face. His mood wasn't a happy one either.

"I'm sorry, lover." He cupped my face with his hand. "Something's come up. I'll have to take you home now, so that I can deal with this."

"I hope it's nothing too serious," I exclaimed. I knew from his feelings that it was definitely serious. I tried to cheer him up. "It's okay, I've had a long day with everything that's happened. I could use a good night's sleep and I don't get very many of those with _you_ around." I teased, hoping that my joking mood would make him feel a little bit better.

Eric _did_ chuckle, but it was short-lived. "Ah, my dear one. You didn't complain about your lack of sleep _last night_." He teased back. He grew serious once again. "Come, I'll drive you." He helped me put on my cranberry coat, then walked me outside of the building, towards his waiting Corvette.

I climbed in and he took the wheel. We drove along at a fast pace. I could tell by the way that he was feeling and how his mind was preoccupied, that I shouldn't tease him about the cops pulling him over. He was no longer in a happy mood.

I just hoped that whatever it was, Eric wouldn't have to kill anybody.

He drove me home and walked me up to my front door. Underneath the glow from my outdoor light, he gently cupped my face in his hand, gave me a quick kiss, then hopped into his car and disappeared into the night.

I let myself in, turned on the lights as I entered. I noticed that there was a number flashing on my answering machine, so I walked over to check it. I pushed the play button and listened.

Again, there was nothing but a click. As if the person realized that they had the wrong number and realized that after the machine picked up. I deleted the message, then headed into the kitchen where I poured myself a glass of iced tea. I was thirsty, since I'd had alcohol during supper.

I heard something on my back porch. I looked out of the kitchen window, but didn't see anything.

I took a sip, but then noticed a flurry of movement out of the corner of my eye. An envelope slipped and skidded underneath my back door and stopped underneath the doorframe. I bent down to pick it up. I opened up the back door, and looked to see if the person who had slipped it under there was still there. Why hadn't they just knocked? The lights were on…they must have known that I was home. But there was no one there.

I looked down at the envelope in my hands. There was no name or address on it. I didn't even know if it was addressed to me. I figured that it must have been, only because everyone knew that I lived in Gran's house.

I took my letter opener and opened it up. There was a note inside. It said, _"You're mine." _No name to or who it was from. Just that. I figured that it must have been Eric, just reminding me of the fact, but then he had to hurry back to deal with whatever it was that had ended our date prematurely.

I walked into the living room and put the note down on the coffee table. I yawned. It had been a long day. I was still worried about Hunter and what was happening with him. Was he okay? I guessed that he must be scared. He was staying with strange people and the only familiar faces that he knew were now gone. My heart broke for him.

I got ready for bed, then turned off all of the lights in the house. I climbed into bed and pulled the covers over top of my body, since my bedroom felt really cold. The house sounded eerily quiet. I could hear the refrigerator humming in the kitchen and a few sounds here and there. It was an old house. I was used to hearing it make odd noises in the night.

It had seemed like forever since I'd had the house to myself. I had grown use to Amelia and Octavia living there under my roof. I wasn't used to the quiet.

I tried to fall asleep, but the more quiet it was, the more that I couldn't. I heard something brush against my window. I sat up in bed, to see what it was. Hearing the wind pick up, I figured that it must have been a branch brushing against my window. I laid back down.

I flipped on to my side and stared at my alarm clock on the night stand. It was one o'clock in the morning, but I was wide awake. I laid there in bed, wondering what kind of business, Eric had to take care of. From the serious way that he had acted and the way that he had felt, I knew that it wasn't good.

At least, things were better now, since we'd returned from Vegas. King Felipe had proven that he was trusting Eric more with the territory of Louisiana. I think he was trying to make up for what Victor had done and was trying to make amends. The king rarely came to visit, nor any of his representatives either. That really said something about the trust that he bestowed in Eric.

I happened to think that both Felipe and Eric were similar men. They were both old and men of honor. They both saw creative ways of making money and using them. They both knew what would attract tourists and would keep them coming back. They were both smart businessmen.

I knew that I shouldn't have to worry about Eric, especially with his business dealings, but sometimes I did. I didn't know very much about it and I always got scared about things that I didn't understand. _What if someone decided to use one of us once again to break us up? _It was like I was waiting for the next bad thing to happen. I couldn't breathe or relax. I was always looking over my shoulder.

That wasn't any way to live, I knew, but when you've had as much that has happened to you, as it has happened to me…you naturally grew wary and unsure.

My life was never boring.

I must have dozed off, because I started to dream. I was running towards someone, trying to save them from horrible circumstances. I kept running and running, but whenever I got closer to them, they weren't where I thought them to be. I looked everywhere for them, hoping and praying that I'd make it there in time. I finally found them, but I was too late. I woke up screaming and crying out Hunter's name.

I sat up, quickly in bed. I looked around my darkened bedroom, trying to come back to reality. I breathed a sigh of relief. It had only been a dream.

The ringing of my telephone startled me. I stared over at it, unsure if I should answer. I picked it up, after five rings. I figured that since I was now awake; I may as well answer it to see who it was that was calling so late.

"Hello?" I asked, hesitantly, into the phone.

"Aunt Sookie?" a young voice whispered into the phone. "I can't talk for very long. They don't know that I'm calling you." I heard Hunter's voice say. I swung my legs over the side of the bed. I was fully awake now. I listened intently.

"Hunter?" I asked, full of worry and concern. "How did you get my number? What's wrong?"

"I remembered the number that you gave Daddy. I need you, Aunt Sookie. I _need_ you. They're bad. Very, very bad."

"Oh, honey," I tried to comfort him over the phone. "They can't be _that_ bad…"

"No, Aunt Sookie." Hunter whispered in reply. "They _are_. You _have_ to get me out of here. Please!" his little voice pleaded into the phone. He started to cry and my heart broke for him.

"Listen, Hunter," I tried once again to reassure him. "I'm going to find you. I _will_. You won't have to be afraid anymore." I promised. "But I need you to be brave until I can get to you. Do you understand?"

He didn't speak, but he let his thoughts free so that I could hear them. _"I understand, Aunt Sookie. But please hurry. I don't know how long I can hold on. They're really bad people. I need you. They scare me." _Even in his thoughts, he burst into tears again.

"_I have to go…they're**...**__**coming**__," _he told me inside his head. Without another word, he hung up.

I sat there, unsure of what I should do. I couldn't ignore the pleading sound in his voice. I could sense his fears. His thoughts had been full of them. Suddenly, I knew that there was only one thing that I could do. I had to find him. I had to find him and rescue him. I had to take him into my home, so that I could raise him.

With a new sense of purpose, I laid back down, thinking of the next steps that I would take. I would need to find a lawyer. A cheap one; first of all. I tried to think of anybody in Bon Temps, that fit that bill. I couldn't think of anyone off hand, but knew that I would have to start investigating, first thing in the morning.

It took awhile, but eventually I fell asleep, picturing Hunter in my home. He would be happy and carefree. I could see him playing in my yard around the house. I would fix up the spare bedroom, so that it would be something that little boys would enjoy.

I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let anything stand in my way. All other obstacles would have to be erased.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of your great comments! I really appreciate them and you, for reading my story! I hope that you enjoy what I've written! :) If you have any questions, I hope that as we go along, my story answers them for you! I hope that you have a great weekend!  
_

_Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm only borrowing them for entertainment purposes ONLY! _

_Rated: M_

_*************************************************************************************************************************************************  
_

**Chapter 5**

I woke up later than I should have the next morning since I had not been able to sleep very well. But I still had the same sense of resolve. I would fight to have Hunter come and live with me. The desperation that I'd heard in his voice last night, called out to me. I couldn't ignore him.

I showered and dressed. The first thing that I would do was make arrangements to see one of the lawyers in Bon Temps. I knew that it was going to be a long shot at best, but there was no way that I couldn't do it without having a lawyer. The question was…who?

Let's see…there was Portia Bellefleur and Sid Matt Lancaster. My first choice was Portia, just because she was a woman and would understand my case better. I called her office and was lucky enough to get an appointment later on that day.

It was a good thing that I'd taken a few days off, I thought. I would've been working at Merlotte's otherwise.

I did some things around the house until it was time to head into town for my appointment. I wore a dress that was both understated and businesslike. I had bought it before my trip to Dallas, which seemed like a lifetime ago.

I entered Portia's office and her secretary told me to take a seat. That Portia would be with me in a moment. I fidgeted around in the chair because I was nervous. This was the first time that I'd ever had to see a lawyer for my own reasons.

Soon, Portia poked her head out of her office door and motioned for me to enter.

"Hello, Sookie," she greeted me, cheerfully. "What brings you by?"

"Um…I need a lawyer," I tried to explain.

"A lawyer?" Portia frowned. "I haven't heard that you're in any trouble, Sookie." _She would know, her brother Andy, was a policeman and he hadn't said anything about it to her. _"Why do you need one?"

"Um…" I was nervous and I shifted around in my seat. "I need a lawyer because I want to become a guardian of a little boy. In fact, he's my cousin, Hadley's son," I explained. "I was wondering if you would be able to take the case?"

"A boy?" Portia repeated. Either she was deaf or she was in shock.

"Yes, his name is Hunter. You see, he's been living with his father until very recently…his father died in that car accident the other night near Red Ditch."

"Where's his mother? Why doesn't she raise him?" she asked.

"Um…she's dead," I replied. "She died awhile ago."

"I see."

"Please, I know that I don't have very much money, but maybe we could make out a payment plan?" I suggested.

Portia sat in her seat behind her desk, while she studied me. After a few moments, she spoke. "Sookie, I've always admired and liked you." Yeah, right. That was a load of crap. I knew that she'd tolerated me mostly because I worked at Merlotte's and had to serve her drinks most of the time. "I would love to take your case, I really would, but…"

That's when Portia stopped talking for a couple of minutes. I could read it in her mind that she was trying to figure out the best way to tell it to me. I knew that she was going to turn me down. I decided to sit there and wait patiently for her to explain, so that I wouldn't prove to be the crazy Sookie that everyone in Bon Temps thought me to be.

"First of all…you're an unmarried woman. You don't think the boy would be better off living with a wedded couple? You, yourself, told me that you don't have very much money and would have to work out a payment plan. How are you going to pay for it? This could be very expensive."

"I know, but…"

It was like she ignored me because she started talking once again. "And adoption cases take a really long time. Are you prepared for the amount of time that this could take? And what about a father figure? Who's going to be the father figure in this little boys' life? You'll also need to look into a babysitter for when you're working. That can be very expensive too."

"I know, but…"

"The family courts really look into a person's background. What about yours? You know what some people have said about you in town. You work as a barmaid in a local bar. You have been involved with _vampires_." _And Weres and the fae_, I added in my own mind. "Vampires aren't the most admired race in this country, as you well know. What if one of your friends decides to kill this little boy?" _Talk about farfetched, but ok-ay_. "I'm sorry, Sookie. I can't take this case. I just think that you have no hope of ever winning, no matter if you can get your finances arranged so that you can pay for it."

I lowered my head. I had a feeling that what she was saying was true, but it still didn't seem to faze my resolve. If anything, this made me want to fight this that much harder.

"So, you won't help me?" I repeated, just to be sure.

Portia shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sookie. Maybe if you were married or had a better career or a more stable home environment…?" She shrugged her shoulders to end her sentence, and left the rest of her explanation hanging.

"Okay," I sighed. "Thanks for your time." I stood up and reached across Portia's desk to shake her hand, to show her that there weren't any hard feelings and because I was raised to be polite. She took mine in hers too.

"Good luck, Sookie," she replied, but in her mind, she added…_you're going to need it._

I felt tears forming in my eyes, threatening to fall before I left Portia's office. I quickly raced out and rushed outside to my parked car. No sooner than I was inside, I laid my head against my steering wheel and started to cry.

I was so frustrated, I could scream. _What century were we living in? _I wondered. Weren't there women nowadays, who were looking for sperm donors so that they could experience motherhood? What was so different about me? This was my cousin's child too. That _had_ to count for something.

I sat there and cried for I don't know how long. Eventually, I started up my car and backed out of the parking lot.

I had to try to see if Sid Matt Lancaster might take the case. He was an old friend of the family and had been close to my Gran. He had even represented my brother, Jason, when he had been arrested on murder charges. He had gotten Jason off of those…maybe he could do this for me?

I had to try.

I drove home and planned on calling Sid as soon as I got there, since I didn't have access to his phone number on my cell phone.

It was a little while later. I had made an appointment to see Sid the next day, which would have to be rushed. Remy Savoy's funeral was being planned for that day, so that I would have to dress both appropriately for a meeting with a lawyer _and_ a funeral.

I changed into some worn out clothes after I made the call to Sid's office. I wanted to get the laundry done, that I hadn't done the previous day like I'd planned. I cleaned, while I did my laundry, since there was nothing better to do.

My thoughts were full of Hunter and what he was doing and worrying about whether he was okay or not. By the time I realized it, the sun had gone down. I wondered if Eric was going to call me. He usually did.

A part of me wanted to talk to him, just because I missed him. Another part, wanted to talk to him, because I needed some sort of advice about this custody battle that I was going to have over Hunter. I hoped that Eric would understand and would support me, but you never knew.

My cell phone rang, alerting me that I had received a text message. I rushed over to my phone, picked it up and looked at the display. Sure enough, it was from Eric.

His text said, 'Sorry about last nite. 2nite instead?'

I texted him back, telling him that I would love that.

"Good, but this time, work not going 2 interfere. I promise. See u soon."

I laughed, happily. Eric was going to come over. It made me extremely excited and jovial. After the kind of day that I'd had, I deserved it, I thought. A nice, warm, relaxing night of staying in, with my man. And maybe he could help me figure out how to best get through this thing with Hunter?

* * *

Before I knew it, Eric showed up at my door. I had just finished putting my laundry all away and had changed from my sweats, into something nicer.

"Hi," I greeted him, with a warm smile on my face.

"Hello." Eric smiled back.

The sight of his smile and just his _presence_ caused a warm feeling to flood throughout all of my extremities. I let him come through the door, catching a whiff of his cologne. He smelled really, really nice. I wanted to jump him but first things first.

"How was your day?" he asked, curiously, making small talk.

"Ok-ay," I hesitated, because it really hadn't been.

He could tell. He stared at me, curiously and full of concern. "What happened now?" He asked, as he mentally prepared to hear more bad news.

I sighed. I wasn't sure how to tell him this. I already knew that he was against it, as it was. How was he going to take it, if I told him that I'd decided to fight for Hunter…for real?

"Um…" I hesitated again. I could feel Eric peering into my mind, which I was keeping purposely from him. While I was finding it hard to tell him what I wanted, I didn't want him to know about it until I _told_ him. This was something that was too important. "I've made a decision…" I began.

Eric stood there, looming over me, while he tried to see into my thoughts. I could feel his curiosity and his concern. Most of all, I could tell that he was confused. That he hoped that it didn't have anything to do with him. In a way…it did, but not directly. Well, kind of…sort of.

"Go on…" he urged, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm going to fight for custody of Hunter." I laid it all out there, and waited for the yelling to begin.

But he didn't say anything. He just stood there, and took it all in. As if he was thinking of the best way to convince me to change my mind.

"You don't have any comment?" I prompted him to let it all out. "You aren't going to tell me, that this is the worse idea that I've ever had? You're not going to tell me that, I'm making a big mistake?"

"Why should I?" Eric replied. "You just said it."

I angrily shook my head. "No, I'm just saying aloud, what you're supposed to say to _me_." I paused, while I studied his reaction. Okay, it was good. He wasn't freaking out. He wasn't yelling. Maybe he had accepted it? "I'm sorry, if this wasn't what you were hoping for when you decided to start dating me, but…my mind is made up. There's _nothing_ that you can do to change my mind for me."

"Got any Tru-Blood?" Eric asked, instead, changing the subject.

"Yeah…" I stared at him, puzzled and confused. What was going on through his head? He was keeping his closed off from me too.

"Would you mind warming up a bottle for me?" Eric suggested, while I stared at him, both puzzled and confused.

"Okay, it shouldn't take too long." I headed into the kitchen. I took a bottle out of the refrigerator and warmed it up in the mircowave. I took it back out into the living room and handed it to Eric, who had moved in front of the fireplace and had started a fire. He stood there, looking into the flames. "Here you go."

He took it from me, then took a sip. This was really strange. Eric hated Tru-Blood. He much preferred the real thing. He only drank it on certain occasions or when a human donor wasn't available. Not that he needed very much to survive, since he was so old.

He was never this quiet either. At least, not with me. Usually, he was too busy trying to sweet-talk me into doing things for him or into bed. Not that I needed very much convincing anymore in either regard, but it was still strange.

"Eric?" I asked. "Are you okay? I've shocked you, haven't I?"

Eric slowly turned to look at me. "Yes," he admitted. "Have you thought about this? Have you thought about what this will mean? What this will do to the both of us? We won't have any more freedom. We won't be able to do things together like we used to. This will change both of our lives."

"I can feel that you're upset."

"Upset?" Eric repeated. "Yes, I am _very_ upset. Lover, this is _not_ like you. If you want to have children, we could work something out. Is that what you are wanting?" He asked, still puzzled and confused.

"No," I shook my head. "I want _Hunter_. He's the only child that I want. He needs me. I'm the only one who can really help him. He's alone and confused. He's very scared. You see…what made me change my mind and make this decision is that he called me late last night…"

Eric didn't say anything, but motioned for me to continue with a wave of his hand.

"He called me, begging me to help him. The home that they put him in is being run by very bad people. _Very bad_, according to him. He's terrified. I promised him that I would find him and he could live with me," I explained.

"You should not make promises that you can't possibly keep," Eric replied, frustrated and angry.

"Who says that I'm going to break those promises?" I replied back, just as frustrated and angry. "I'm going to find a lawyer and we're going to go through the family court system, so that I can win guardianship and custody of him."

"Sookie," Eric sighed, shaking his head. "I can see that there's no way that I can change your mind."

"Nope."

"But you live out in the middle of nowhere. What if this Hunter needed medical care? Would you be able to provide that? What about school? What about clothes? What about food? You know, those things that you humans need in order to survive…"

"I have all of that." I was perturbed. Even my blood-bonded was trying to convince me not to go through with it. "Thanks for your support," I replied, sarcastically. "I really thought that _you_ of all people, would understand me and would support me."

"I do, I am." Eric replied back. "I am only trying to point out to you, the reasons why this is a bad idea. What about your work? Do you think that you can raise a little boy on your own on a barmaid's salary? I know how much I pay my barmaids…I imagine that Sam pays about the same. I know that you have no money. If you do this, you will not have any money at all."

"I know."

"And yet…you are _still_ willing to go through with this." Eric studied me, carefully.

"Yes."

Eric sighed. I could feel him giving up in our fight.

"And before you ask…yes, you will be still welcome to come here, as often and as long as you wish." I smiled sweetly up at him.

"That was never a concern of mine," he replied, surprised that I would say such a thing. He stared at me with a startled look on his face. "I can always be quiet." He bragged. "I am just not sure about _you_. You may wake him up in the middle of the night and we will be forced to share your bed." He teased.

I gasped, before I began to laugh. That was when I knew that Eric was on my side. "You think I'm…_loud?" _I asked, incredulously. I stood there and stared at him, appalled.

Eric laughed. "Gotcha." He winked at me.

He was beginning to learn too many new phrases, I thought to myself. I didn't care though, I was happy that Eric (while not liking it at all) was still going to support me and help me through this. I wanted to count my lucky stars that I had a man that was willing to do this.

It made me very happy. I felt like celebrating. It was indeed a great end to a horrible day.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm borrowing them for entertainment purposes only. _

Rated: MA (For mature sexual content)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Together, Eric and I laid on our sides, facing the lit fireplace. Eric spooned me from behind. My ugly blanket covered the two of us. We laid there quietly. Both of our minds were consumed by whatever thoughts that we had running through our minds. I could tell that Eric was thinking about work and the reason why our date had been interrupted the night before. I was thinking about how to get Hunter to come and live with me. The next steps that I would take…and so on.

While his mind was distracted, Eric still managed to put the moves on me. His mouth nibbled and licked my neck and earlobe. I shivered from it.

"Don't…that tickles," I giggled.

Eric ignored me, but continued to lick and nibble.

"Ah!" I cried out, as he touched a really sensitive spot on my neck. "Don't!" I pleaded. I raised my hand up to cover up that area, so that he couldn't do it anymore. "That tickles!"

Eric raised his head and chuckled, like it was funny to tease me like he was doing. "It tickles?" He repeated, curiously, while he looked down at me.

"Yes!" I shouted at him.

Eric put his finger into his ear, as if trying to get it to stop ringing. "You don't have to shout. I can hear you just fine."

"Well then…stop!" I pleaded with him.

Eric just laughed, but he had stopped what he had been doing. Instead, his hand, which had been curled around my waist and was flattened against my stomach, started to slide upwards. His cold hand slid underneath my shirt, making me gasp from coolness of it. It slid up higher, until he cupped my breast.

As if they had a will of their own, my nipples instantly puckered. His thumb and forefinger played with my nipple, making it pucker up even more.

Even though his actions were making me incredibly aroused, I pleaded with him to stop. "And not _that_ either."

Eric raised his head, his hand paused on my breast. "And _what_ would you like me to do?" he countered, curiously.

"Nothing," I replied back. "Nothing. Just hold me. Make all the bad things go away," I told him.

"What bad things?" he asked, surprised and concerned.

"Nothing in particular…" I shrugged my one shoulder that could move. "I just want you to be there. I need you." I shuddered at the thought of not having his love and support.

"I am always here."

"Yes, I know that," I replied back. "I just want to make sure that you won't abandon me, like so many others have done," I sighed. "I want to make sure that you're not angry or mad at my decision."

"I'm--"

"I know that you aren't very happy about it," I interrupted him, before he could continue. "Remember, I know what you're thinking and feeling too." I rolled over on to my back, so that I could look him in the eyes. They glittered down at me.

"You are right…" he hesitated. "I am not happy about it. I think this will change our lives. Are you ready for the change? We will never have this kind of privacy again. You will have another person to worry about. I am concerned that you won't be able to care for him, like I know that you want to."

"So…what you're saying is that you want to have my full, undivided attention?"

"No," Eric shook his head. "I know that you have a heart full of love, and lots of love to give. I am just worried that you won't be able to handle it," he explained, full of love and concern. He frowned. "Are you ready to be a mother? Are you mad because I can't give you children?"

"No!" I gasped, appalled that he would think that I was mad because he couldn't give me any. "I think this could be a way for us to experience it…without _experiencing_ it. Do you know what I mean?" I gazed up at him, making sure that what I was trying to say, was getting through. "Alive or dead…have you ever wanted children?" I asked, almost scared of the answer.

"I don't know," he frowned, while he thought about it. "When I was alive…thoughts of settling down and getting married, never really entered my mind. I knew that my father wanted me to stop my wandering ways, but I don't remember thinking about it before. After I was turned, well, I never thought about it either. I guess…I don't really know." He continued to frown. "But there is one thing I _do_ know…I think that you would be a great mother, Sookie. I wish that I could give you a child, like you want." He sighed, disappointed that he couldn't give me that one thing.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it," I tried to reassure him. "I never thought that I would become a mother. Not this soon." But I _had_ thought about Eric in the starring role of the man who would be the best possible father, but I didn't let him know about that part of it. "Are you afraid that you won't be a good father?" I asked.

"Oh, I think that I'd be a _great_ father." He grinned, devilishly at the thought. "I like to play games."

I laughed. "But playing games isn't all that a good father does," I reminded him. "What about the big sex question?"

"Oh, I know _all_ about sex," Eric grinned and winked down at me. "I would teach him what a woman likes and what a woman doesn't."

"You don't have to be so proud," I told him, perturbed that he knew so much about women. I briefly wondered, how he had come to know so much, but I really didn't want to hear about it either. I kept that thought silent and hidden from him. "What about homework? What about morals and ideals?"

"I have gone to so many schools and taken so many courses…that I could probably teach _you_ a thing or two," he stated, proudly. "Did you know that I have my bachelor's in psychology?"

No, I didn't know that. "Somehow, I figured that, since you have a way with people." People, meaning those who vowed him fealty. He had to know what makes people tick in order to have them do what he wanted. "What about morals?" I asked, curiously, going on to the next question.

"Well…" he paused, while he thought about it. "There are some reasons I would kill for and others that I don't. Does that mean that I have morals?"

The thought of him killing people for reasons that were unknown to me, bothered me somewhat. "And what reasons would those be?" I asked, really curious now. His answer would help to reveal what really made him tick.

"Oh…it depends on the person or circumstances," he shrugged, not getting into it. "If I found that it wasn't serious, then I would probably use other means of dealing with them. But if they hurt someone that I cared about…then it would be something much more painful and punishable." His eyes glittered at the thought.

I knew how much he enjoyed a good, physical fight. I rolled my eyes.

"It's a good thing that I don't care about too many people…" he continued on. "I have lived a long time and now, the thought of killing isn't what it once was. When I was first turned, I killed because I didn't have any self-control. Now, killing is something that we have to keep secret from the rest of the world because humans fear us. I don't like killing. When you live as long as I have, it loses it's…what's the word?" He paused as he thought about it.

"Luster?" I provided what I thought he was hinting at.

"Yes," he nodded his head. "Besides, if we were caught, we'd be locked up in prison. You think child molesters have it bad in there? Vampires have it worse," he shuddered at the thought.

"Am I one of those people that you care about?" I asked. I hoped that it was so and judging from his feelings, I knew that it was true.

"Of course," he replied, stunned that I would even ask that. "Why would you ever doubt that?"

I shrugged. "No reason. I just wanted to make sure," I teased back. "It doesn't hurt, hearing how much your man cares about you."

"Is that what I am?" Eric asked, curiously. "Am I your man?"

Just to tease him a little bit, I pretended to think about it for a few minutes, during which time I could tell that Eric was feeling more and more apprehension. I loved to tease him, since he loved to tease me so much. "Well…" I shrugged, as if I wasn't sure. "You're here. I'm here. I'm not seeing anyone else…that would seem to me…like you're my man."

"You are a tease," his eyes narrowed down at me. He knew me too well. "You had me going for a moment…when I _knew_ that you were just pretending. It's a good thing that I know what you're _really_ thinking and feeling." He winked down at me. He paused, but then asked, "do you resent our bond?"

"No!" I gasped, astonished that he would think so. "Why would you think that?" I asked, curiously.

"No reason. I have learned to accept it and now, I actually enjoy having it." He confessed. "I wondered if you felt the same."

"I still hate the way that it happened…but yes, I've accepted it too. I feel comforted--knowing that I'll always be able to count on you to be by my side."

"Good." He was pleased at the thought. "And I am glad that I have you too. You have _no_ idea, how boring my life was, before you entered it. You have rejuvenated my life, so that I find it exciting once again."

I was happy to hear that too. "What? You were getting sick of Pam?" I teased. Although, I really liked her as a friend. "I know that she can be difficult…"

"No, Pam is…Pam. But we never had the attraction that you and I have. She is my child and I care for her, but…she doesn't make my dead heart beat. She doesn't breathe new life into me. Only you."

Wow, talk about being awed. I remained silent, because of what he had said, it floored and flattered me so much so, that I was speechless. _Who knew that a thousand year old Viking vampire could be romantic? _"Awww…you shouldn't say such sweet things to me." I said. "You know that it makes me blush and feel embarrassed."

"Yes, but I love the way you blush. And I love making you feel special. I don't care if it makes you embarrassed. You deserve to hear nothing but nice things."

"I suppose…" I hedged. "you are right. But not about everything. I know what I'm doing when it comes to Hunter. He needs me. I know that I'm the only person who can help him."

"You are stubborn."

"No, I'm not. I'm just telling you that I've made up my mind and there's nothing you can say or do, that will make me change it. Case _closed_." I explained. Although, after hearing those words, I had to admit that they _did_ make me sound stubborn. "You don't have to do anything to help me. I just want you to accept it. That's all I'm askin'. Even if you don't want to have anything to do with him, I'm fine with that. I just want you to be there for me and to support me through this. I know that this could take awhile to happen…since the family courts are flooded with cases like this, but I really want to try."

"What if you fail?" Eric asked. "What then? Will you give up? Or, will you keep trying until you become obsessed?"

"That's hard to say…I've thought about the failing part, but I haven't thought any further than that." I admitted, sheepishly. "Would that be a bad thing if I kept on trying?"

"Yes, if it takes over your life." Eric replied. "I am only looking out for you. I don't want you to become obsessive and forget about those close to you, who are already in your life and who love you."

"I won't," I replied, stubbornly. "Besides, I think that the end result may surprise you. I don't think it will come to that."

"I hope not," he replied back. "For your sake…I hope not." He sighed. "I only want you to be happy and I do not want you to be disappointed by the results--if they do not happen the way that you want them to. I'm here for you and I will support you."

"Haven't you always?" I replied back.

"Yes," he agreed. "This boy is only another way in which I will support you."

"Can we talk about more cheerful things?"

"Like what?"

"Well…do you remember when you lost your memory and we laid in front of the fire like we are now?" I asked.

Eric nodded his head. "Yes, I remember." He grinned down at me.

"Do you want to know what I was thinking that night when we did this?"

"What?" Eric asked. I could feel that he was dying to know. "I know what I was thinking about." He grinned. "I was thinking of how to get you into bed and wondered what you would do if I touched you here." His hand reached for my breast and slipped inside. "And here." His hand moved downwards, towards my hootchie. It slipped underneath the waistband of my pants and panties. His fingers found my center and slid inside.

Not surprisingly, I was moist and more than ready for him. "Oh…I was thinking…similar thoughts." I gasped, as his thumb played with my nub.

"Really." Eric replied back, not really surprised. "And what would you have done if I had done it?"

"Oh…I don't know," I sighed, already my mind was full of desire. "But you could show me what you had in mind _now_," I suggested, naughtily.

Eric laughed. He bent his head down towards mine and began to kiss me. Only a master like him, could make me want him so much with only kisses. I wondered if he'd gone to school for that too. Was there a school for that? I pushed those thoughts from my mind, as my desire took over.

I raised my arms, wrapped them around his neck, and pulled him down closer to me. He lifted his leg and moved it in between mine. I could feel his erection against my hip. It made me want him more. His mouth moved along my jaw, then down my neck. He placed kisses and licked along the column. I felt his fangs brush against my soft skin. I wanted that too. I wanted him to feed from me.

My clothes disappeared without me being aware of it. His did too. The only reason why I realized it, was because I could feel his cool bare skin touch my warmer body. It made me hotter, if you could believe that. I was literally burning for him from the inside out.

His mouth and fangs tasted my breasts. He nibbled a little bit, making me arch up towards him. His mouth traveled downward. He licked and nibbled his way down my body until I could feel his mouth, just hovering over my nub.

His tongue slid out and licked my swollen folds. He spread my thighs wide. My legs draped over his shoulders. His tongue entered me, making me come before I knew it. Just as I was coming back down, he was leading me back up again. He raised himself up on his haunches, his muscles moved underneath his skin, flexing.

He entered me, slowly but surely. He drove deep. I couldn't tell where he ended and I began. Harder and faster, he drove himself inside me. Before I knew it, I came once again, my world spinning wildly out of control. He bent down and bit into my neck, taking the blood that he needed from me. It made me come again. There was no feeling like it in the world. I felt his own completion soon after. He shuddered up above me.

Spent, he collapsed down on top of me, but still careful about his weight. He licked the bite marks on my neck. His saliva would help them heal.

He raised his head, then looked down at me. His eyes glittered, with pleasure. He grinned, wickedly down at me.

"What?" I asked, curious about the expression on his face.

"_That_ was what I've wanted to do for a long time now. Even before I lost my memory. Probably, the first time that I saw this fireplace. I wanted to make love to you in front of a fire. Your skin looks so soft and becoming in this light." He explained.

"Really?" I asked him, surprised. "How come you never hinted about it before?" I wondered.

Eric shrugged. "Well, I hinted about a lot of things, which you always refused, so…why would I ask you for this too?"

He had a good point there. "Was it everything that you thought it would be?"

"It was more, but…" he replied. "I could do without this ugly blanket." He picked up the blanket, that had somehow fallen off of us during our lovemaking.

I laughed.

I yawned, as I grew suddenly tired. It was very late at night. I wanted to get some sleep. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed now," I explained.

He gathered me up and carried me into my bedroom. He kicked the door closed. He laid me down on the bed and tucked me down underneath all of the covers. He kissed me on the forehead, before leaving me alone to sleep.

"You're not going to cuddle?" I asked, curious and confused. I sat up in bed.

"No, I have some things that I have to do," he replied. "What's the word…rain check?" He asked, hopefully. I nodded. "We'll have to do it another time." He offered.

I laid back down and curled up in bed. I was too tired to object. "Okay, have a good night," I told him, before I quickly fell asleep.

* * *

It was a little while later, but the sun hadn't risen yet. I felt a draft coming from somewhere in my room. I sat up in bed, startled by the sudden drop in temperature. I was surprised to find out that my bedroom window was open, the curtains billowing in the breeze.

_Who opened this window? _I wondered. And why? Eric would never open it up, unless I asked him to. He knew how cold I got at night. Knowing that I wasn't going to find out my answers any time soon, I climbed out of bed to close it.

Whomever it was, had been trespassing, I thought to myself. Maybe Eric had known someone had entered my house and had chased them off into the night? The house was eerily quiet. It felt like someone had entered my own personal space without my invitation. I felt violated.

I hoped and prayed that Eric would be alright and that he knew about it.

It wasn't until later in the morning, after I had woken up, that I found another note. This time it was laying on the coffee table, where I wouldn't be able to miss it. This one said the same thing too.

"_You're mine." _

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: ** Thank you so much for all of your comments! I really appreciate them! I hope that any questions that you may have will be answered as we go along in the story. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer:**

**Rated:**

**Chapter 7**

"_You're Mine." _

My gaze kept returning back to the note that I'd found on my coffee table that morning. Was it Eric? It didn't sound like the kind of note that he'd leave me. He always signed it with a big letter, E. Besides, he didn't really have to tell me that I was his. We both knew it. We had moved past that stage in our relationship. It confused me.

I pushed my thoughts about the note away, while I continued getting ready. I had an appointment with Sid Lancaster, followed by the funeral in Red Ditch.

The families had agreed to have a dual funeral service. I didn't know that much about Remy, other than the fact that he'd married Hadley and was the father of their little boy. I hoped that Hunter would be allowed to go. They had been the only parents that he'd ever known. I wanted to see him to make sure that he was okay and to tell him that I was going to be fighting for guardianship of him.

I finished getting ready and walked out to my car. I drove into Bon Temps, and to Sid's office. It was in the more influent area of town, as most of his clients were wealthy.

He was expecting me. I sat down in a chair in front of his big desk. He gazed at me with pleasure.

"Hello, Sookie," he exclaimed. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other. How are you doing? I hope that Jason is doing well."

"He's fine," I replied, even though I didn't really know. Jason and I hadn't really talked for a long time now. Not since he had forced me to catch his soon-to-be ex-wife in a compromising position. I was still angry at him for dragging me into his troubles. I had enough troubles of my own, let alone worrying about his too. Even Jason knew that I wasn't happy with him and was trying to avoid me.

"How are you doing since your grandma's death? I hope that you aren't missing her too terribly."

"I'm fine. I do miss her, but it's not as painful as it once was before," I replied. "You're probably wondering why I made an appointment with you…?"

"Yes, now that you mention it…I was curious as to why you had made this appointment." He frowned. "I hope it's nothing serious. You aren't in any legal trouble, are you?" He asked.

"No," I shook my head. "But I do need a lawyer." This was where I paused because I didn't know how to tell him about Hunter and the reasons why I wanted custody of him. I took a deep breath, then began.

"Do you remember my cousin, Hadley?" I wondered.

"Yes, she and her mother, Linda moved away from here a long time ago, didn't they?" He asked, as if he couldn't remember. "I heard that Linda passed on…due to cancer. What ever happened to Hadley?" He asked.

I wasn't sure if I should tell him about the fact that she'd been turned into a vampire or not. I decided to leave that part out.

"She married a man named, Remy, and they had a child named, Hunter." I answered. "She was killed a number of months ago, so Hunter and Remy had been living alone. Remy eventually started dating this woman named, Kirsten. The three of them were like a family until…" I paused once again. I felt my tears spring to my eyes. "Remy and Kirsten were very recently killed. You probably heard about it on the news."

"I'm not sure that I have," he replied, frowning, while he thought about it. I could read in his thoughts, that he was trying to remember.

"Did you hear about the car accident near Red Ditch?" I prodded.

He thought about it for a minute or two. "Oh!" He exclaimed. "_They_ were the young couple who died?" He asked, incredulously.

"Yes, sir," I nodded my head. "Hunter was taken into foster care and he's all alone."

"I see…" Although, in his mind, he didn't see how or why this had anything to do with the reason I was there that day.

"I want to become Hunter's legal guardian," I announced, expelling a deep breath. "I know that I'm unmarried. I know that I'm a barmaid…but I think that since Hunter is family…I'd be the best choice for him." I didn't want to tell him about the fact that Hunter had called me, begging me to take him away from wherever he was.

Sid was silent for a number of minutes. I wasn't sure how long. I could read his thoughts going through his mind. Some of them bothered me, I had to admit. But it wasn't something that I wasn't used to. I'd heard a lot of things over the years that bothered me. I tried not to let it weaken my resolve. I steeled myself for what he was about to say. If I couldn't read it in his mind, his body and mannerisms spelled it out for me--plain as day and night.

"I…we…" he stumbled, trying to find the right words. It was unusual, since lawyer's were usually more eloquent than that. I could tell that if I wasn't Gran's granddaughter, he wouldn't have been as nice. He would be much more blunt and honest. "We, at the firm…are extremely busy at this time of year." He began, having come up with a reasonable explanation or excuse. "I'm afraid, that we're not taking on any more new cases."

"I see," I replied, not sure of what to say. His thoughts had told me exactly what his reasons were, which was good in a way. It would save us a lot of time and money. I just wanted to get this over and done with so that I could go and find myself a new lawyer.

"Your grandmother would be very proud of you today, for deciding to take a little boy into your home."

"I see," I repeated. I felt choked up and couldn't say anything else. It was all I could do, to keep the tears at bay.

"You have a very warm heart and not too many young people today would think about doing what you want to do." He explained. "That's lacking in today's day and age, but…" He let his sentence drop, as he looked unsure once again. "I'm sorry, we just can't do it."

I gathered up my purse and stood up, wanting to get out of there as fast as I could before I started to cry. "Thank you for your time." I replied, softly, then headed towards the door.

I walked out; stiff and quick. I practically ran out to my car. I opened up my car door, sat down in the driver's seat, then leaned my forehead against my steering wheel. My tears started to flow. I cried and cried for awhile, as my sadness and frustrations got to me.

After a few moments, I collected myself and started up my car engine. I drove away from the lawyer's office, lost in thought. I had to figure out a way to get _someone_ to represent my case. I just didn't know who. The two lawyers that I had figured might take my case, had refused. I didn't know where else to go.

I drove to Red Ditch, with my tears now dry on my face. At least, I looked like someone who was going to a funeral, I thought, sarcastically. I had a good excuse for my dried up tears.

I pulled into the cemetery, where the funeral was set to take place. It wasn't that hard to find because it was the only spot in the cemetery that had people and vehicles parked near it. There was a canopy covering the gravesite, as if rain was threatening to spill. I think they had it only for appearance purposes, but as I had found out in the last couple of days…there was a lot that I didn't know.

I didn't know that lawyers would refuse money or ignore someone's cry for help. I didn't know that some people still looked down on unwed women who wanted to raise a child alone. I hadn't known that I would be refused, even though I was technically family to the boy that I wanted to adopt. What else didn't I know?

I climbed out of my car and walked towards the gravesite in my high heels. The spiky points poked into the ground, which made me look not very graceful. I approached the gravesite, not knowing anybody there. I hung back, so that I wouldn't be noticed.

A few people spoke about the deceased. How much they were missed and how much they were loved. Some told a couple of funny stories, that seemed to bring brief smiles to the other mourners gathered. Through it all, I could hear muffled moans and cries. The families sat in the front row, dressed in black and with handkerchiefs attached to their faces. I could understand their pain. It hadn't been that long ago, that I had been in the cemetery of Bon Temps, burying my Gran.

After the ceremony ended, mourners took turns putting flowers on the side-by-side coffins, then walked slowly away. I hung back, not sure if I should stay or if I should go. I stood next to a tree.

"Aunt Sookie!" A young voice called out, suddenly, breaking the silence.

I looked around to see where the voice was coming from. I couldn't be sure if Hunter had called me in his head or aloud. Finally, I spotted him, holding onto someone's hand. He was standing between a couple; a man and a woman. They looked at me with fear in their eyes. He was trying to get away from them. They both had a hold on his hands, refusing to allow him to run loose. His eyes fixed on me, earnestly, full of angst.

"Hunter," I gasped. He was dressed in dark pants, a buttoned-up shirt and a tiny black tie. He looked like a handsome young boy and healthy.

"Aunt Sookie," he called. I could hear the happiness and pleasure in his voice.

"_Please…take me with you. Please don't let me go back," _he pleaded in his mind.

I looked up at the couple who had eventually allowed him to approach me, but still refused to let go of his hands. They had tagged along behind him, as he had dragged them towards me.

"Hi, ya'll," I held out my hand to introduce myself. "I'm Sookie Stackhouse."

Neither the man or the woman took it. They stared at my hand extended towards them, then back up at me. _Talk about unfriendly_, I thought to myself. It was like they were looking at me like I was crazy or something.

"_They're my dad's cousins," _Hunter explained in his mind. He looked up at me, with a happy look on his face. I could tell that he was very happy to see me. _"I'm staying at their house until you take me home with you." _He explained. _"They're bad…really bad people. I don't want to live with them. Take me home with you, please?" _

I couldn't reveal that Hunter and I were communicating with our minds, so I started to talk to Remy's cousins. "I'm Hadley's cousin," I explained how we knew each other. "And you are…?" I prompted, hoping that they would introduce themselves. I didn't even know that Remy had relatives that were alive. How was it that they had custody of him?

"Oh," the woman replied, her eyes narrowing. "You're that crazy cousin that Remy told us all about," she replied. She turned to the man standing next to her. "You know the one…" She made a motion with her hand, pointed at her head, in a circular motion.

The couple didn't need to talk to know what each other was thinking, it seemed. I could clearly read their minds. They were convinced that I was completely crazy and was out to get them. But how could that be when I had never heard about them before now? I wondered. _They_ were the crazy ones, I thought to myself.

I studied them, while they were deciding how to best get Hunter away from me. They were wearing dress clothes, sure, but they didn't appear to have a lot of money. They looked like white trash, in my opinion.

The woman had a poor dye job in her hair. She was wearing tonnes of makeup that made her look like a cheap hooker. Her dress looked like it didn't fit her very well. She was pencil thin and the dress hung off of her in an unflattering manner.

The man looked dishevelled and unkept. He had a beard and even with an out of date pant suit, he still wore a ball cap on his head. He had a pot belly. He looked like he had spent his fair share amount of times in bars. I could vaguely see a family resemblance, between this man and Remy, but it wasn't glaring.

"Hunter, it's time to go," the woman told him. "We have that appointment to get to, remember?"

Hunter looked up at her, then back at me. Hunter gazed up at me, beseechingly. _"Please don't let me go back there, Aunt Sookie," _he pleaded, in his mind and in his eyes.

My heart broke. There was nothing I wanted more than for that to happen. _"Hang tight, little man. I have to do things properly so that you can live with me permanently." _I tried to explain, but still trying to keep his hopes alive.

Tears sprang to his eyes, as he looked away from me, disappointed. My heart broke, once again.

The couple started to drag Hunter away from me. They had moved a number of feet away, when Hunter suddenly turned around and sprang free from their grasp and raced towards me. It was his moment of freedom. He hugged me around my legs. I bent down and hugged him close to me.

We stayed that way for a number of minutes.

"_I love you, Aunt Sookie," _he told me in his mind, as we hugged each other close.

"_I love you too, Hunter," _I replied in mine, my eyes closed. "You behave like the gentleman that I know your father raised you to be," I spoke aloud.

"I'll try," he replied back. _"But I'm so scared…they're really bad people." _

"_I know, I'm working on getting you out of there, okay?" _Aloud, I said, "Be good."

We broke our hug and I stood up. The couple had moved closer to us and curiously watched our exchange. Finally, the woman grabbed Hunter by the elbow and started to steer him towards the car. Hunter winced, because it looked like she had grabbed his arm too hard.

I started to say something, but then thought better of it. That would be a _really_ bad idea if these people were as bad as Hunter had claimed them to be. _Hunter _would be the one to pay for my actions. I watched, helpless, as she ushered Hunter into their car and closed the door behind him. It wasn't a new car. It looked rusted and dirty.

He gazed out the window at me. I stared back, with what I hoped, was a hopeful smile on my face.

I waved to him, as they pulled away. He waved back, not excitedly, but slowly and effortlessly. The way that he was acting, made me think of someone who was walking towards death row. I stood there watching, until they disappeared from sight. I walked over to my car, climbed in, started the engine and drove away from the cemetery.

When I got home; I took a long, hot bubble bath, changed and curled up on my couch. I felt so depressed and disappointed, that I felt lifeless. There was nothing that I could do that would cheer me up. The sun went down and I knew that Eric was now awake. Don't ask me how I knew, it was just a part of our bond.

He came out of my spare bedroom, freshly showered and dressed. He had a concerned look on his face, as he gazed at me. He must've known how I felt. That was the only thing that would make sense to me. I looked up at him, with a half-smile on my face. He watched me, curiously. I refused to let him into my mind.

"Lover, what's wrong?" He asked, full of love and concern.

Where could I start? I didn't have a clue. The day had been very emotional. "Nothing," I shook my head. "Just hold me." I suddenly knew that it was the only thing that would make this day more bearable for me. I climbed up off of the couch and raced into his arms.

He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. We stood that way for awhile. The silence of his heart was bliss, because the day had been painful for me. My head ached. My heart ached. I felt like I'd been trampled on and abused.

"I take it that things didn't go well at the lawyers'?" He tried to guess.

I nodded my head into his shoulder.

"And the funeral probably was not a happy occasion either…" He was dead-on once again.

Sometimes, we didn't need to read each other's minds to know what the other was thinking. That was how alike we thought. I nodded my head once again.

"What would you like me to do for you, lover?" He offered. "I could give you a massage. Rub your feet. Anything. Just tell me what you want me to do." I could feel his helplessness. Eric wasn't used to feeling helpless, I could tell. It made me appreciate him all the more.

I smiled for the first time that day, it seemed. "Thanks for the offer, but…there's nothing that you can do." I sighed. "Unless, you can find me a really cheap lawyer, who's willing to help a single woman looking to adopt." I attempted to joke, but my laugh came out wrong. It sounded shaky and weird.

"Even your jokes are sad," he commented, shaking his head. "Wanna have sex?" He joked. I could tell that he was only said it to cheer me up. I was grateful for it, even though it wasn't going to happen and I knew that he wasn't being serious about it.

"No…I guess that's what happens when you're in the depressed mood that I'm in," I quipped back.

"I'm sorry, lover. I'm sorry that you had a bad day. I'm sorry that things are not turning out as well as you had planned."

"Thanks." I replied, relieved to know that _someone _felt sorry for me. I raised my head. "I want to try to think about happy thoughts. How about you tell me something that happened with you? What happened with that situation that interrupted us the other night?"

He looked down at me, debating whether or not to tell me. "That isn't very happy." He replied, hesitantly.

"Yeah, but at least it might take my mind off of my own troubles for awhile."

"True." Eric sighed. "But I'm sorry, I can't get into it right now. In fact…I have to leave."

"You do?" I asked, surprised that he wouldn't be staying around for very long.

Eric nodded his head. "Yes, I need to see Bill. I want him to do some investigating for me," he explained. "But when I felt your pain…I knew that I had to comfort you first--to see if you were okay."

My heart fluttered at the thought of him putting me above his business. I had always known that he would put me first before many other things, but never his business. "Oh." I didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, lover. I wish that I could help you. To tell you the truth, I was curious to find out what happened today. Sometimes, I wish that I could spend the days with you." He frowned, disappointedly.

"I wish that too…sometimes." I admitted. It was a hopeless thought, I knew, but I still thought about what it would be like from time to time. I sighed. "I saw Hunter today. He looked good, but he didn't want to leave with the couple who brought him to the funeral. Did you know that Remy had a cousin? Hunter isn't in foster care, after all. He's staying with them." I explained, shaking my head. "It was _heartbreaking_. He pleaded with me to take him home with me. And the couple dragged him away. I felt so helpless…" Tears sprung up once again, as I remembered. "As for the lawyer…he refused to help and I don't get it." I shook my head, in dismay.

"He made up some excuse about not taking on new cases," I continued. "But I heard his mind; loud and clear. He didn't want to help me because he was scared of what people would think of him helping a single woman get custody of a little boy. I can't believe that people still think that way." I shook my head, in denial.

"You would be surprised by how little time and technology has not changed people's minds over the years," Eric replied back, trying to reassure me.

"I know that I shouldn't get discouraged but…I can't seem to help it. I want to help him. He needs me. If only I could find a lawyer who wasn't scared of what people thought."

"Well…maybe this is not meant to be," Eric said, in that cold way of his, that I sometimes didn't like or understand.

"Well…maybe I'll just have to do some more digging. I'll look in the yellow pages if I have to." I refused to allow myself to think that Eric might be right. "There's got to be _someone_ who would be willing to help."

"Well, I don't think you'll find them tonight," he replied back. "You need rest. You should go to bed. Would you like me to put you in bed?" He offered, hoping to help me out.

I laughed. "And what else do you have planned for me there?"

It was Eric's turn to laugh. "That's for me to know and you to find out," he winked.

I laughed once again. "You'll never change." I shook my head. "But if you could just hold me until I fell asleep…?" I suggested., instead. Sex, even with a master like Eric, was the furthest thing from my mind. I just couldn't let myself think about doing anything pleasurable until I had found a solution to my adoption dilemma.

And Eric, being Eric…refused to decline any kind of situation that put him in the same bed as me. He smiled, then picked me up and carried me into my bedroom. He pulled the covers down and helped me climb underneath. He sat down on the edge of the bed, took off his shoes, then laid down on the bed next to me.

I rested my head on his shoulder, my hand reached across his chest. I curled up against him and closed my eyes. The feeling of contentment and safety consumed me. I wondered if Eric might have been projecting those feelings on to me, so that I could rest easier.

"Thanks for being here," I told him softly. "This is what I needed the most."

Eric squeezed me and kissed the top of my head. I fell asleep in his arms, feeling safe and warm.

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **You've wanted it and asked for it, so I'm going to give it to you right now! What is that, you're wondering? This chapter is from Eric's POV! You will finally find out what he's been thinking and feeling about Sookie's intentions! I hope you like what I've come up with. Thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments! I'm curious to see what you think about this chapter. Comments are more than welcome and I appreciate all of your feedback!

**Disclaimer:** Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm only borrowing them for a little while. There is no monetary gain.

**Rated:** M

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Eric watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful, happy and relaxed, like she didn't have a care in the world. He wanted to see her like that for as long as she lived. He wanted very much to help Sookie. He loved her so much. He wanted to do anything that made her happy. Who cared if he had no clue about being a father? All that mattered was her. He knew her well. She was very stubborn and proud. She would rather die than ask him for anything, but he knew better. She needed him and what he could do for her. He would make sure that not only did she gain custody of Hunter, but that she would have everything that she could ever possibly want or need. He would just have to do it in a way that she couldn't fight him on it. He had to be sneaky. He knew that she was smart. He just had to be smarter.

He still wasn't sure if being a father was something that he felt comfortable with, since he had never really thought about it until now. It made him re-evaluate or re-think everything that he had done in his life. Were they the right decisions? Would the people he loved get hurt by those decisions? Was running a vampire bar the proper thing for a father figure to do to make sure that Hunter was clothed and fed? What kind of father would he be? Would the kid even _like_ him?

He was for sure going to be Hunter's _only_ father figure. There was no way in hell that he'd allow any other man to get close enough to Sookie in order for that to happen. She was his and no one else's. He would be damned if he would allow anybody else to have that kind of connection with her. While he may not be the best role model, in his opinion, he knew that if Sookie was the boys' mother, then that child would be the luckiest child in the world.

He felt guilty, although not really knowing why, that he couldn't give her that one little thing. A child of her own. He wished that he was human…almost. He was able to provide her with everything that she could ever possibly want or need, except for that one thing. He hated it. He ached to see her with a baby at her breast…_his_ baby. But since that wasn't possible, adopting Hunter was the next best thing.

He agreed with her, that it was a reasonable alternative. Hunter needed her, she needed him. They would have their own little family. This was a totally new concept for him, but he could see it working. Besides the way they taste, he knew that kids had a special place in this world. Just like thousands of years ago, they needed to be looked after and taught right from wrong. They were the future of tomorrow. He knew what it meant for the future because he would be a part of it and wanted to make sure that this world didn't end up corrupted or destroyed.

Eric knew what must be done. He felt badly that she was having a hard time trying to find a lawyer, but he would see that she got one. He knew just who to call too. He would just have to call in a couple of favors. He briefly considered getting Niall involved, but other than the respect that he had for him and knowing how much Niall loved her himself, he didn't really want to involve Niall in this kind of problem. What kind of father would he be if he couldn't rely on himself? _He _was the provider. It had been how he was raised by his human father. It was how it was done. It hadn't changed in the millennia since he'd been turned. Calling in Niall would only be as a last resort.

That was, in part, why he was going to meet with Bill. There were some other things too, but he wasn't going to think about it right then. The main thing was, he needed to get his biggest money-maker to do some investigating and soon.

Eric continued to watch her sleep, content to just lay there. He hated to leave her, but duty was calling. Nothing would get done if he didn't get up off of his ass. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, hoping that she was in a deep enough sleep, so that she wouldn't wake up when he left her.

He slid out of bed and put his shoes back on. He used his vampire skills to sneak quietly out of Sookie's room and out of her house.

* * *

Bill sat at his computer, punching in keys on the keyboard, when he heard someone coming. He swiftly turned his head, closed his laptop and went to the front door. He frowned when he opened it to find Eric standing there with a wicked grin on his face.

"Bill," Eric greeted him in a no-nonsense tone.

"Eric." Bill backed away to allow him to enter. It angered Bill to see Eric standing there…taking a look around, then turning back to him…as if he owned the place. "What brings you by?" Bill asked, taking a peak outside the windows to see if Eric had brought anybody else with him.

"You really need a paint job," Eric commented, taking in the interior of the house. "And the wood needs to be re-stained."

"Yes, well…" Bill didn't appreciate Eric's comment on his decorating skills. "I'm getting to that, but I've been busy."

Eric turned back to Bill, taking him in. "Yes, I can see that. What are you working on now?" He asked, curiously. He hated it that everybody wanted to make the most out of Bill's skills on the computer, but he was a real money maker for him as well, so he couldn't really complain. He earned a lot of his profits through Bill.

"Nothing," Bill replied, being purposely vague. "I will ask you again…what are you doing here?"

"I need you to do something for me." Eric replied back, studying him. "It's important."

"What?"

"I need you to watch over Sookie for a few days. I have some…issues that I have to deal with at Fangtasia. Will you do that for me?" It was the last thing that Eric wanted, but there was no way that he'd leave Sookie unprotected.

"Of course," Bill gave a slight nod of his head in agreement. "You know that I care about her."

Eric glared at him. _Like hell you do_, he thought to himself. Not in the ways that really counted. "Yes, you do." He agreed, amicably. "I also wanted to let you know that I'm going to be a father." He announced. He grinned at Bill, already knowing how this news would make him feel. Bill's expression would make his day.

"Oh?" Bill asked, curiously. "You're planning on turning someone, after all these years?" He asked, surprised.

"No," Eric shook his head. "Sookie and I…we're adopting a child." He grinned at him, barely able to conceal his delight. "You see, we are _really_ serious now. The time is right. We are very happy and want to share in our love."

Bill blinked. "Shouldn't you get married first? Isn't that the normal order of things?" Bill paused, taking in this news. "I always thought that Sookie was the kind of woman who wanted marriage and children, but in _that _order."

Eric grinned. "Yes, well…we are doing things our own way," he shrugged. "And the marriage thing is only a piece of paper. We are bonded. You can not be closer than we already are. Can I count on you to look after her?"

"Yes," Bill grumbled, sounding not very happy.

"Good." Eric left as quickly as he had come in, feeling happier than ever.

Bill was going to look after Sookie while he was gone. This would enable him to concentrate on taking care of some unpleasant business at Fangtasia. Lord knows, that he hadn't been able to concentrate on anything else other than her, since she had entered his life. This way, he wouldn't have to worry if she was safe or not. He knew that he could count on Bill because whether he liked it or not, he knew that Bill cared for her too. He was just thankful that Sookie had now realized how much she loved him in return.

He flew back to Sookie's house, to check in on her before he flew back home to Fangtasia. She hadn't moved a muscle. "Sleep well, lover," he leaned over her and kissed her gently on her forehead before leaving. "I love you."

He stared at her, memorizing her face for a few moments before taking off. She would always take his breath away, he thought, then left.

* * *

Clancy and Pam held the man down, who was struggling to get free. He was tied to a chair in Eric's office, when Eric arrived. He looked at them and grinned, noticing that Pam had worn one of her favorite pair of high heels, that were now stained and muddy.

"What happened to your pumps?" Eric asked, curiously amused. This earned him a hard glare from Pam.

"This little milk bone, made me chase after him in the woods," she replied, jerking her thumb at their prisoner.

Eric chuckled as he walked past them towards his desk.

"I'm telling you the truth. You _have_ to believe me!" The man cried out from his chair. "I don't know anything. Why would I lie to you?"

Eric leaned against his desk and crossed his arms, studying the man. "Yes, why would you?" he countered. He stood up and leaned down to stare into the man's face. His face was only inches away from the man's. "You will tell us the truth. Where do you get the V? Who's your supplier?"

Eric wasn't happy that his sources had revealed that someone was selling V in his club. He needed to get to the bottom of it and take care of this unpleasantness before Sookie gained custody of Hunter. He knew how the legal system worked. If he was going to be the father figure in Hunter's life, then this is the worse possible thing to happen at his club. They would be sending out people to investigate all of his businesses. He was going to have to make sure that any illegal activity was dealt with before the investigations began.

"I don't know!" the man cried. "We always meet after dark. They are always wearing masks. I don't know anything!" He exclaimed, sounding paranoid. "Why would I lie to vampires? I know what you'll do to me."

Eric studied him. He exchanged looks with Pam and Clancy, trying to gauge their reactions. "You say that they always wear masks." Eric turned his attention back to the man again. Both Pam and Clancy didn't know what to think, but he could sense their thirst for punishment. He gave them a look back that told them to hold off until he got what he wanted first. "Tell me…are they big? Tall? Fat or skinny? Male or female?" He asked, trying to get to the bottom of it.

"I don't know…I don't remember." The man replied.

Eric exchanged another look with Pam and Clancy.

"You will answer or I'll take particular pleasure in draining you dry." Pam leaned over and threatened in the man's ear, her fangs elongated.

"Honest! I'm telling you the truth. I don't know anything. I would tell you if I had more info, but I don't."

"Pam, what do you think we should do?" Eric asked his child, mostly as a tactic that they had used in the past to gain information. "Should we trust this no-good human?"

"No," Pam replied back. "Let me drain him. I'm thirsty. It's been awhile since I'd had blood," she replied back, sounding almost detached, but not enough so that the man would get suspicious. "Please master?" She pleaded, making it sound almost like she was begging. "You know how much I like men like these…they're _very_ tasty." She looked down at the man to see his reaction. Her showed him her fangs, as if proving just how hungry she was.

If Eric hadn't had a lot of skill at hiding his emotions, he would've burst out laughing. Everything his child had said was the furthest from the truth as you could get. He had taught her well. Maybe he could teach Hunter to be good at things too?

It caught him off guard, as thoughts of Sookie had always done. He knew that he was in danger once again. The first time that had happened was when he had found himself thinking about Sookie a bit too much. Look at how that turned out. He was happier than he had ever been and thought that he was the luckiest man in the world. Maybe this will turn out to be the same?

"I know how much you like them, Pam," he agreed. He sighed, pretending that it was an awful decision for him to make. "Since he's not being cooperative…I think you should just do what your heart desires." He told her, knowing that the man would understand what he had said.

"No!" The man cried out in horror and fear. "Okay…maybe I _do_ know a little something…" He looked at all three of them separately. "But you can't let them find out that I told you, got that?" He pleaded. "Promise?"

Eric studied him, curiously. So far, this man was the closest source that they'd had. He was starting to lose his patience. He wanted to see heads roll. "Go on…" he motioned for the man to continue. "We don't have all night."

"I do," Pam gloated from her position from the man's side.

Eric glared at her. This wasn't the time to act witty, he thought. Pam quickly bowed her head in apology.

"Um…you see," the man seemed stumped for words.

"Cat got your tongue?" Clancy asked curiously, staring down at the man. "Maybe if we cut out your tongue…you might be better able to talk?" He threatened.

"I am…I will, but please…you have to promise me that they won't find out. You have _no _idea what they will do to me!" He exclaimed, scared and shaking in his seat. He was so scared that he pissed himself.

Eric noticed the stain on the front of his pants and rolled his eyes with disgust. _Humans. _He wished that it wasn't in the middle of the night, or he'd call his beloved telepath in to help them deal with this. She needed her sleep. No matter how much he wanted her there, he would make sure that she got what she needed. But she would make this interview short and painless. For him, anyways. She was the only human being who had ever gotten to him or that he had respect for. This man was only reminding of the reasons why no humans ever had before.

"Okay," Eric agreed. You couldn't find out information without showing at least a little bit of compassion. At least with humans, that is. "I promise…your "sources" will not find out about this. Now talk."

"Okay…it's like this. When I'm running low…of V, I call up this guy. His name is V.D.--"

"Catchy," Pam interrupted.

Eric gave her a hard look. "Go on…" he urged. He could feel his adrenaline pumping. He wanted to roll some heads.

"He doesn't live here in town. He lives out of town so we meet halfway. Out on this farm out in the boonies," the man explained. "Honest, I have never sold here in my life. I'm telling you the God's honest truth." He crossed his heart and raised his hand in a boy-scout gesture. "On my life…I would never disrespect you like that."

Eric was getting impatient. He was sick and tired of this pussy-footing around. "I believe you," he replied, although he really didn't. "Continue."

"I sell to some fangbangers that usually come in here," he explained. "Maybe they're the ones who sold in your club?" He pointed out.

"Who gives this V.D., V?" Clancy demanded to know. "Do you know who the vamps are who give it to him?" Everyone knew that it was a cardinal sin in the vampire world if vamps were giving it willingly.

"I don't know," the man sighed. "I wish I did…but I don't."

Eric paused, while he thought about it for a minute. He tried to see whether or not Pam and Clancy were believing this story too. It looked like they didn't know what to think.

"Release him," Eric replied, with a wave of his hand. The man looked hopeful for the first time since he had entered the room.

"But Eric--" Clancy objected.

Eric glared at him, willing him to disobey. While he valued Clancy's vows of fealty, sometimes Clancy was more trouble than he was worth. "Yes?"

"Don't you think that…?" Clancy trailed off, as he read the expression on Eric's face. "I guess you want the usual?"

"Yes, you know what to do," Eric ordered. "I'm going to find out about those fangbangers." With that, Eric quickly left his office, closing the door behind him. He walked out into the bar area. He could hear the man's screams coming from his office. The usual always was that they drank from humans, but didn't kill them. At least Pam and Clancy had been able to eat, he thought to himself.

"Sir," Thalia approached him as he walked by the bar. "We have another problem." It was unusual for her to sound uncertain, but she did. She knew that Eric wasn't going to like it. "The cops are here. They're taking in two fangbangers."

"What the hell for?" Eric demanded, angrily.

"They got into a fight." Thalia replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Eric sighed. All he wanted was to head back to Bon Temps, so that he wouldn't have to deal with all of this mess. He gazed up towards the ceiling, as if praying to the Gods to come take him away. He needed to get outside and get away from it all.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"I need a favor," he spoke into the phone after it was picked up. "A _really _huge one…"

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** In the previous chapter, I made a little error. I didn't realize it until later. I've since edited the previous chapter, so there won't be any confusion about it. You see, I mentioned that Eric knew that Sookie had received some flowers, when she hasn't...yet. I'm sorry for any confusion this may have caused. Thanks for all of your comments, I really appreciate them! Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer:** Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm only borrowing them for a little while. There is no monetary gain.

**Rated:** M

* * *

**Chapter 9**

I woke up early the next morning, not at all surprised to see that I was all alone in bed. I wondered when Eric had left to meet with Bill. I hoped that whatever he was dealing with, it wasn't nearly as serious as what I was going through. But then again, if Eric was getting Bill to investigate…? There were only two reasons why Eric would ask Bill for anything. One, anything to do with investigating something that had to do with his Area or his businesses. Or two, anything to do with me. While Eric hated it that Bill had used me and had basically betrayed both of us, he knew that Bill cared enough about me to know that he would do anything to protect me. Besides the fact that Bill and I were neighbors and Bill would be able to get to me the quickest, in case anything happened.

I didn't want to think about what Eric was going through. I could tell that he was troubled about something, just from his feelings. But since I knew next to nothing about his business other than the fact that he ran a vampire bar--my assistance would be pretty much useless. Not that I didn't want to help him--it was just that I was probably the last person who would be of any kind of help that he could use, I thought to myself.

I climbed out of bed, poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table to read the morning paper. Nothing in the paper caught my eye, other than the fact that they had an article about the funeral that I'd attended yesterday.

I called work, to let Sam know that I would be willing to work the next day. I needed to earn some money to pay bills and to pay for lawyers' fees…if I could find one, that was.

I did some things around the house. It was a bright, sunny day outside. I figured that I'd get a head start on my yard work, since the day was so nice. I weeded some of my flower beds. I raked leaves that had fallen on the ground. I was busy putting the leaves into garbage bags when I heard a car pull into my driveway.

Expecting that it was Amelia, who had called to tell me that she was leaving New Orleans and was on her way home, I spun around to greet her with an expectant smile on my face.

I was startled to see that it was a newer vehicle. It was expensive looking. I looked over towards it, holding the garbage bag with one hand and a handful of leaves in the other. I was surprised to see Mr. Cataliades step out of the vehicle.

He walked over towards me with a friendly smile on his face. The last time I'd seen him, was briefly in Las Vegas. He had been there on business and we had chatted for a little while.

"Good day, Sookie," he greeted me, when he had moved to a few feet away from me. "You're looking lovely."

"Good day to you too, Mr. Cataliades," I replied back, with a smile. "What brings you by?"

"Oh…" he paused, as he looked around the yard and at my house. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop in…"

He was? I was surprised. He was a half-demon lawyer, who didn't really know anyone in the area, other than me or Bill…unless he had been asked to. Suddenly, I was suspicious. I narrowed my eyes at him, curious as to the real reason why he was there.

"Are you here on business or pleasure?" I hesitantly asked.

"A little of both, it's been too long since I'd last seen you. I hoped your trip to Vegas was a rewarding one?" He asked, leaving the question open-ended. Neither one of us had really told the other what our real business was in Las Vegas.

I nodded my head, still kind of speechless at seeing him at my house. "As I hope that yours was as well?" I asked, courteously. "Would you like anything to drink?" I frowned, because I couldn't recall what demons ate or drank at that moment. My thoughts were swirling around in my head about the real reason why he was there.

"No, thank you," Mr. Cataliades shook his head. "But I would like to sit down and have a talk, if you don't mind?"

I nodded my head. I dropped the leaves and the garbage bag on the ground and led us both inside my house. We both sat down on the couch. I stared at him, still unsure of why he was there. I decided to let him lead our conversation. I took off my gardening gloves and rubbed my dirty hands on my jeans. Raking always made my hands feel dry and chapped. I didn't think that I would need to wash my hands if I wasn't going to be serving Mr. Cataliades anything.

He looked around my living room, then turned back towards me, as his eyes met mine. "I understand that you are in need of some help."

"Help?" I repeated, not sure of what he had meant. I stared at him, both puzzled and confused.

"Yes, I've heard…I understand that you are having troubles finding a good lawyer." He replied, giving me a knowing look.

Suddenly, I knew exactly why he was there. The only question was, who had called him and if he was willing to take my case. I felt suddenly relieved. "Yes, I am. Have you heard about my…situation?" I asked, curious to find out all he knew.

"Yes," he nodded his head. "I understand that you are looking to adopt or have guardianship of a little boy?"

"Yes, sir," I replied back, suddenly hopeful that he would be helping me out. "He's my cousin, Hadley's little boy." I knew that he would remember Hadley. I wished that I could tell him that Hunter was a telepath like me, but I wanted to protect Hunter. It was funny, because I was already thinking of him as my own.

"I see." Mr. Cataliades replied, as he took that news in. I could tell that he was surprised, but not entirely. Hadley hadn't lived a life that would make it seem impossible. "And where is he now?"

"I don't have a clue," I replied, shaking my head. "All I know is that he's staying with Remy's cousin and his wife. They scare him. He told me that Remy's cousin is really bad."

"How do you know that?" He asked, curiously.

"Because he called me late one night. He told me over the phone before we were interrupted," I explained. "I saw him yesterday at his father's funeral and he was begging me to take him home with me." Tears sprang to my eyes, as I remembered. "Please, I need to know. Are you going to help me?" I pleaded. "I know that I won't be able to pay you right away…but maybe we could work something out?" I shrugged.

Mr. Cataliades seemed to think about it for a few minutes. During that time, I began to fidget and move around in my seat. I was nervous, hoping beyond hope, that he would be able to help me.

"I'll represent you," he looked at me, levelly. "Count me in as your official lawyer," he answered. "Now, I have to be honest with you…"

"Ok-ay," I replied back, not sure if I wanted to hear it.

"This could be an uphill battle. I'm not going to sugarcoat it by saying that you can get yourself ready to move him in. The family courts really look hard at prospective parents, you see. Are you prepared to fight?"

"Have I ever _not_ been before?" I countered.

"No," he shook his head. "I just wanted to be sure. The lawyers representing this other couple could try to make you look bad. They will point out that you're a single woman, who works in a bar. They will try to find out any and all dirt about you," he explained. "You haven't had anything peculiar happen to you lately, have you?"

I frowned while I thought about it. Other than the fact that I knew that Eric had killed a vampire who had been out to get us and the fact that I was considered Eric's blood-bonded, I couldn't think of anything. "Not that I'm aware of," I replied. A sudden thought hit me and I wanted to find out if it would have anything to do with my court case. "What if a person was…?" I tried putting it into words, but I was suddenly fearful. I didn't _think _that I was being harassed…but I had nothing else to explain the notes and the phone calls.

"What?" Mr. Cataliades asked, curiously. "Nothing should harm your case unless it has bearing on your character," he replied. "Why?"

"No reason," I answered, relieved. "I was just curious."

"Listen, they know about the supernatural world enough to know that if you're involved with vampires, they may look at you differently, that's all," he tried reassuring me. I let him assume that it had something to do with the supernatural world because I had trouble understanding it myself. "Some may hold it against you. Others may not. It all depends on who the judge is on the case."

"Have you worked in cases similar to this before?" I asked, curious as to how good of a job Mr. Cataliades might do. "Have you ever appeared before in human courts?"

"I…have, but not in a very long time. I have to tell you the truth, the human courts are a lot different than the ones in the supernatural world," he answered. "Rest assured, I _do_ have assistants who work in human courts all the time. If anything should happen that puzzles me, I'm sure that they will help us see it through." He said it mostly to reassure me that by hiring him, I would be doing the right thing.

Face it, I thought to myself. I didn't really have a whole lot of options, did I? Mr. Cataliades was the best that I would be able to get. "Does this mean that you will help me?" I asked, hopefully.

"Miss Stackhouse, I was already your lawyer. I was only making sure that you were prepared for what we are going to do," he replied.

"When it comes to your fees…I'm not sure how I'll be paying you," I frowned in deep thought. "But I'm sure that we could work out something. Maybe I could make small payments over a number of years or something?"

Mr. Cataliades waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Your bill has been handled."

"It has?" I questioned, surprised and puzzled. "By who?"

"Um…let's just say that I was made aware of the situation by someone who knows you and wanted to help," he replied, vaguely. It was as if he didn't want me to know or to guess, but I did.

"It's Eric, isn't it?" I accused. "He's the _only_ one who knows. The only one who knows about what I want to do."

"Now, Sookie," he tried to pacify me. "You shouldn't get mad at Eric Northman about this. He called me and told me that you were having troubles finding a lawyer and that you were really wanting to adopt this child. He offered to pay my fees and I couldn't really refuse. I owe him."

That sounded like Eric, I thought to myself. He always kept track of who owed whom favors, and collected on them when he needed to. Sometimes, it paid to have Eric as my bonded, I thought to myself. But I wondered in the back of my mind if Mr. Cataliades would have taken my case, if it hadn't been for the fact that he owed Eric a favor. I decided that I didn't care. I had a lawyer at last.

"Don't worry, I'm not mad. I just wished that he would've told me that he had hired you," I sighed. "He likes to do things high-handedly." I explained. Eric was going to get an earful the next time I saw him, I decided.

Mr. Cataliades didn't comment. He took in all in stride. "Now that you've hired me, we will have to work out our next course of action. I'll need you to meet with me at my offices in Shreveport." He replied. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

"I'm ready," I replied, already gearing up towards the case. "I will do _anything _you ask--if it will mean that Hunter will be able to live with me," I vowed.

"Good," he replied, then looked at his watch. "I have to get going. I have another appointment in a couple of hours, so I have to get back. When can you make it?"

"Um…let's see." I pictured my work schedule in my mind. "Can I meet you there on Sunday?" I asked, hopefully.

"Sunday is good," he replied. "I don't usually work on Sundays, but I will make an exception, just for you."

He stood up and I walked him to the door. I watched him walk to his car and drive away.

For the first time in a long time, I was really excited. I couldn't wait to tell Amelia and thank Eric (after I gave him a proper tongue-lashing for keeping it from me). I couldn't believe what Eric had done. I had thought that he was dead-set against it. He hadn't said a word about it to me the night before either. I didn't know whether or not I should strangle him or kiss him. I decided to leave things as they were. I had a lawyer and I wasn't going to go broke trying to pay him off, that was the main thing.

I finished up my yard work and took a bath. I cooked myself a meal, then sat down to eat.

Amelia came home and I no longer had the house to myself. It was noisy once again, not that I minded. She told me all about her trip and how her house was going.

"…and you wouldn't believe that asshole of a foreman!" Amelia shook her head. "He had the audacity to tell _me_ that I shouldn't tell him what to do!" She paused, then continued in her tirade over the construction workers. "The sad part is…he's a very good-looking man."

I laughed. "I thought you were through with men for the time being?" I reminded her.

"True, but this one reminded me of why good-looking men are only good for one thing. They should keep their stupid thoughts to themselves," Amelia pouted.

"Not _all_ good-looking men are like that you know," I pointed out to her. "Just some of the ones that you've met."

"How is Eric, by the way?" Amelia asked, quickly changing the subject. "Have you seen much of him lately?"

I stared at her. "Have you been talking to Pam?" I asked, cautiously.

"Pam?" Amelia repeated, as if she couldn't remember who Pam was. "Yes and no. Your bonded is keeping her very busy. She complains about it on the phone to me _all_ the time," she replied.

I was surprised by this. "What does he have her doing?" I asked aloud.

"Beats the hell out of me," Amelia shrugged. "Both Pam and I thought that once you two started dating, that Eric would be more easy-going and give Pam less things to do, but he's not." Amelia studied me, thoughtfully. "Unless, you aren't putting out enough…"

"Amelia!" I gasped, then exclaimed. "That's none of your business!"

Amelia laughed. "Look at how you're blushing," she teased. "Is it good? Is _he_ good?" She persisted.

"I'll have you know that Eric makes me _very_ happy--if you know what I mean. But I honestly don't see how my relationship with Eric would make things better for either Pam or yourself. I have no control over what he does in his businesses." I shrugged my shoulders, confused by Amelia's comments.

"Ah-ha!" Amelia nodded. "That is where you're wrong. Pam told me all about it. How he changed after the time he spent with you when he'd lost his memory. How he isn't as carefree as he used to be… It's not a bad thing. Pam is kind of glad that he fell in love with you and not some crazed fangbanger." She leaned in closer, as if confiding a secret. "Pam told me that Eric took you out on an _actual_ date."

"Well…I wouldn't call it a _date_ in the normal sense of the word," I replied back, laughing. "Eric took me to _Fangtasia_, of all places. He had this table set up and we danced and everything. But then our date got interrupted by some crisis that he had to deal with."

"I'm sorry," Amelia immediately sobered up. "I used to date a workaholic and they are the _worst_. They never pay enough attention to you."

"I don't think Eric's a workaholic…he's just rusty at the dating game, I think." I replied, automatically defending him. "I think he's not used to having to court a woman, if you could believe that. He actually came and spent a night or two here, while you were gone."

"Good," Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. "I was kind of worried about you being out here all alone."

"Why?"

"No reason, really," Amelia shrugged. "It's just not as safe as a house full of people, I guess."

We talked some more and Amelia explained the reason why Octavia had to go home. The niece was going in for surgery and needed a fulltime babysitter, which was a relief.

"What's new with you?" Amelia asked, switching the subject on to me once again.

"Well…Eric bought me a necklace and earring set. I'll have to show them to you later," I replied. "And…" this was where I paused. I had forgotten that Amelia might want to have a say in my decision to fight for Hunter. "Did you hear about that accident by Red Ditch?" I asked, curiously.

"Can't say that I have," she replied. She frowned, as if trying to remember.

"This couple were driving home and were hit by a drunk driver. They died," I explained. "Anyways, the man was the father of Hadley's child."

"Hadley had a _child_?" Amelia repeated, incredulously. Her eyes were round. "Since _when_?"

"Since before she moved in to your house and was turned." I explained. "This boy is staying at one of Remy's cousins and…I want to take him into my home."

"For how long?" Amelia wondered.

"Awhile."

"How long is _awhile_?"

I sighed. "I want to become his legal guardian. He thinks Remy's cousin and his wife are very bad."

Amelia was silent for a few moments.

"You're not saying anything," I commented.

"What do you want me to say?" Amelia asked. "Are you sure that this is what you want? How will you support him? What will you do for a babysitter? Have you thought this through?"

"Yes. I'll find a way. I haven't thought about it yet. And yes again." I replied back, answering each question in turn.

"What does Eric think about this or does he even know?"

"Eric is…he's not very happy. But he understands. He knows that this is what I want. He's going to support me. In fact, he hired Mr. Cataliades to represent me in court." I answered, pleased that Eric had done that for me. "I was hoping that you would support me too." I started to pout.

Amelia stared at me. "I don't know, Sook," she sighed. "This is a lifetime commitment. Are you sure that _this_ is what you want?"

"Yes," I replied.

"I can't believe that _Hadley _had a child…" Amelia shook her head, in disbelief. "But then again…she was _always_ wild. I'm shocked that you managed to find out who the father _was_."

Normally, I would've agreed with her. Hadley had been nothing like me. The only thing we'd had in common had been that we were cousins and shared a similar history that involved our Uncle Bartlett. "Please, I need to know that you're okay with this," I pleaded.

Amelia stared at me for a few minutes while deep in thought. I could hear it in her mind, all of the thoughts going through her head.

Finally, she spoke.

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks so much for all of your reviews/comments! I really appreciate them! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! My previous error will now make more sense to you...I hope. I hope everyone had a Happy Easter! I'm glad that you're still reading! It won't be long now until DITF will be released! I can't wait...can you?

**Disclaimer:** Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm only borrowing them for entertainment purposes only.

**Rated**: M

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Finally, Amelia spoke. "Okay…fine," she sighed. "But Sookie, I don't know anything about kids. I really don't. Don't count on me to change any diapers or anything, okay? Do you have any experience with them, other than babysitting?" She asked, curiously.

"Not very much," I had to admit. "But how hard could it be? Besides, Hunter is a little past the diaper stage and he really wants to move in with me. I could really help him."

"How so?" Amelia wondered.

"Well, as I told you, he's staying with Remy's cousin. I met them at the funeral. I wasn't impressed with them. They think that I'm crazy and that I'm out to get them."

Amelia burst out laughing.

"It's true! I heard it in their minds," I exclaimed. "And there's another thing too…but you have to promise me that you'll keep it a secret."

"I will," Amelia vowed. She crossed her heart and hoped to die with her hand movements.

"He's a…_telepath_." I confessed. Amelia's eyes rounded when she heard that. "Anyways, Hunter told me that they're very bad people. I think that because he can read their minds, he knows what they're really up to. I suspect that it's something illegal. I promised him that I would try to get him out of there," I explained.

"He's a telepath? How do you know?" Amelia hit herself in the head with her fist. "I'm sorry, of _course_ you'd know since you can read minds too."

"He's going to really need my help with it later on. If he stays with them…he'll be lost in more ways than one. He's already scared. I don't want him to feel even worse."

"I can understand that," Amelia mulled over what I had said. "And you'll put him in the spare room, I take it?"

That could be a problem, I thought to myself. I hadn't really thought about which room he might be staying in. Amelia had pretty much taken over the upstairs. The spare bedroom was the only other option. The problem would be when Eric came to visit. He might wake Hunter up when he retired into his hole in the floorboards. I frowned, trying to come up with a solution.

No wonder Eric hadn't like the idea, I thought to myself. Our privacy would be even more compromised than it already was.

"I hadn't really thought about it," I confessed.

"I could move some things out of one of the bedrooms upstairs if you want," she offered, coming up with her own solution. "But how often do you think Eric might come to visit you once you have this kid?" Amelia shook her head. "I've never really pictured Eric around children."

I smiled, at the picture in my mind of Eric around children. "No, I've never pictured it either," I confessed. "But I can feel that he's starting to warm up to the idea. He won't admit it, but I think he's looking forward to it. At least, that's what I can tell from what he's feeling," I shrugged.

"I guess it's perfect timing," Amelia sighed. "I was planning on moving out soon anyways. There will be a lot more room in this old house once I leave. I was going to tell you sooner, but my house is almost ready," Amelia explained.

"It is?" I asked, surprised.

Amelia nodded her head. "Yeah, even though the good-looking foreman is trying to rake more money out of me. It should be ready in the next couple of months."

"That soon?" I asked, surprised. "This custody case might take a long time anyways," I shrugged. "Mr. Cataliades warned me that this wasn't going to be easy or very fast. The family courts move at their own pace, so rest assured that you won't have to make any drastic changes right away."

"That's good," Amelia replied. "But don't count me in as a built-in babysitter. I've never really looked after anyone's kids before in my life. Who is going to watch him while you're at work?"

"That's another thing that I haven't really thought about," I admitted, then blushed at my own oversight.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone," she offered, hopefully. "Maybe Arlene might give you a few names."

I didn't want to tell her that those names wouldn't be names of babysitters. More like, name calling.

"It's been a long day. I have to work tomorrow. I'm going to bed." I told her, standing up from the couch. "Goodnight. I missed you and I'm glad that you're back."

"I missed you too. Goodnight Sookie," Amelia replied back.

Together, we both hugged, then I walked into my bedroom, full of plans and ideas about Hunter. I was stunned and alarmed to see Bill sitting on my bed.

"When did you get here?" I cried out, alarmed and surprised. Why was Bill here? What did he want?

"Just a little while ago. You were so busy talking to Amelia, that I came in through your bedroom window. You must not have heard me knock. Sookie, you really should lock it when you're not around. Anybody could get in," he reproached.

"I was…" I started to explain, but then again…as if Bill needed any kind of explanation from _me_, I thought to myself, angrily. _He_ was the one who had invaded my personal space without my permission…or Eric's. I wondered what Eric would think if he knew that Bill had shown up here in my bedroom. "Listen…I don't know what you want from me, but I'm tired and I'm going to bed. I would appreciate it if you would leave…_please_."

I tried to move towards my dresser to pull out my pajamas from one of the drawers, but Bill stood up and stepped in front of me, blocking my way.

"Is it true?" He asked, staring down at me, coldly. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn that he was accusing me of something. But I couldn't think of anything that I had done lately that would offend him or anyone.

"Is what true?" I countered, curiously. I stared up at him, wondering what he was talking about.

"You _know…" _Bill looked pained and full of hurt. "You and Eric."

"Well…we haven't really kept _that_ a secret…I'm sure most of the vampire world knows about us by now," I replied, densely.

"No, you don't understand…" Bill moved away from me and began to pace. "Is it true that you and he…that you and _Eric_, of all people…are adopting a child?"

I stared at him, stunned. Where had he heard that from? But then, I realized that I knew. Eric must've told Bill about my plans. "Yeah, so?" I asked, totally unrepentant. "What business is it of yours _what _we do?" I asked.

Bill growled, his fangs extended. I could tell that he was suddenly very angry. I grew scared. He grabbed me by the shoulders and gave me a hard shake. "You were mine _first…" _he growled.

Eerily, I remembered similar words on two hand-written notes. Was it Bill? I tried to move away from him by pushing at his chest. "Let go of me…" I begged and pleaded.

"No," Bill replied back, still really angry. "You're mine and no one else's. You don't belong with Eric. All you have is a blood bond. Why can't you see that? Why won't you forgive me?" He pleaded. Suddenly bloody tears rolled down his cheeks.

I didn't know what to say to that. "I _have_ forgiven you, but it doesn't mean that I've forgotten," I replied back, hesitantly. I realized that I would say anything to Bill, if it meant that he would leave me alone in my room in peace. "You hurt me a lot."

"And Eric hasn't." Bill guessed. He nodded his head in understanding. "What would you do if Eric were suddenly gone?" He asked, curiously. "What if he suddenly…disappeared?"

I stared at him, suddenly horrified. Was he planning on doing something to Eric? I started to look at him in a new light. It was like I never really knew who he was until now. Would Bill hurt Eric and all because of me?

"Never mind," Bill waved it off, as if he hadn't just threatened Eric's life in my presence. "I just wanted to find out if what Eric had told me was true or not. Wow, you are planning on adopting a child. You see, I had to find out for myself. I see that he was telling me the truth. Knowing Eric as I do, I wondered if he had been lying to me. Times have sure changed." Bill shook his head and sighed. "I remember when we were together and in love--"

"We were never _in love_," I was quick to interject.

Bill stared at me with soulful eyes, then quickly climbed outside through my opened window.

I watched Bill leave, stunned speechless. That was a side of Bill that I had never seen before. It scared me. I raced over to the window, slammed it shut and locked it. I closed the curtains, and hoped that they would give me more privacy. If I had felt violated _before_…this was a hundred times worse. I didn't know if I could ever trust Bill again.

I wanted to call Eric, to tell him what had happened but I knew that the only thing that would accomplish would be Bill's demise. I didn't want to be at fault. Besides, Eric had his own problems going on at Fangtasia. No, I had to keep this a secret for now.

I climbed into bed and tried to go to sleep, but it was very fitful. I tossed and turned, waking every so often, half-expecting to find Bill in my bedroom once again.

* * *

The next day I was about to leave for work when I opened up my door, surprised to see a bouquet of flowers laying on my doorstep. I picked them up and smelled them. They were a dozen pink roses. I figured that Eric must have placed them there as a way of apologizing to me for not coming by to see me the night before. Which I was kind of upset about because I wanted to talk to him about hiring Mr. Cataliades without my knowledge or consent. And now, a part of me, wished that he had been present when I had found Bill in my room. Although, I knew what those consequences might be, I was still afraid of what Bill might do. I was pretty sure that Bill would not have been brave enough to show his face in my bedroom like he'd done if Eric had been there.

I put the bouquet of roses in my Gran's crystal vase and placed them on the dining room table. They were beautiful. I checked the bouquet, to see if there was a note from Eric or not. There was none. I figured that he must have forgotten to put one in or had decided that I would know who they were from.

I stared at them for a few moments, made a mental note to send Eric a thank you card, then proceeded to leave for work.

The day passed by uneventfully and quickly, which was good. At the end of my shift (my shift ended at seven) I noticed that Bill sat at one of my tables, which was not. I groaned when I noticed him. I was thankful that Holly had taken over for me.

The sight of him made me very uncomfortable. I hated to be in the same room with him. Seeing him, reminded me that he had used me. It reminded me of how gullible and naïve I used to be. It also reminded me, clearly, vividly and eerily, what had happened the night before. I grew scared.

I picked up my belongings from Sam's office and headed towards the rear exit. I wanted to avoid Bill at all costs. How quickly I had forgotten that we had exchanged blood too. He knew what I felt and knew that I was avoiding him. When I headed out to my car, Bill was standing there waiting for me. I hesitated in my steps.

"Good evening, Sookie," he greeted me, with a cold smile on his face. While Eric's smiles had always seemed warm and flirtatious, Bill's had always felt cold and calculating. It was funny, that I was only noticing that now.

"Good evening, Bill," I replied back, automatically. Ever the southern lady, that was me.

"You weren't even going to say hello?" He asked.

"Um…I'm in a hurry," I tried to explain. My thoughts were scrambled, while I tried to come up with some sort of excuse. "Now, if you wouldn't mind…" I motioned for him to move so that I could get into my car and drive away.

"I'm sorry, am I keeping you from something?"

"Yes," I replied. _You are keeping me from getting away from you_, I added in my mind. "I have plans tonight so…" I again motioned for him to move.

He didn't seem to take the hint.

"I have to apologize about what happened last night. I'm very sorry," he replied. "I didn't mean to scare you. It was ungentlemanly of me and it won't happen again."

I wasn't sure if I should believe him. I stared up at him, curiously. "I _have_ to leave," I pleaded with him.

"Please, you _have_ to believe me," Bill pleaded once again. "I am terribly sorry. I'm offering you my sincerest apologies."

I ignored him, hoping that by not answering him, that he would get the hint that I didn't want anything to do with him.

Finally, Bill got the hint and slowly moved out of my way. I climbed into my vehicle and started up the engine.

"Eric will never love you the way that _I_ do," Bill spoke to me, through my open car door.

I closed it shut, hoping that he would let it drop. I didn't want to hear it. I rolled down my window wanting to get in one last parting shot in before I drove away.

"I seem to recall that while you _pretended_ to like me…Eric was _always_ there for me…unlike _you. _I know for a fact that he loves me _more_ than you _ever_ will," I replied back, angrily.

I backed out of my parking space and drove away from him, leaving Bill staring after me. Unfortunately, we were neighbors and he was living in Eric's area, so I knew that I would have to see him again eventually.

When I returned home, I called Eric up at Fangtasia. I hoped that by hearing his voice, that I would feel better. At the very least, I was going to thank him for the flowers that he had sent me.

"Fangtasia, where all your dreams come true," Pam spoke in a bored sounding voice.

"Pam," I greeted her, happy to hear her voice. "How are you?"

She seemed relieved to hear my voice too. "Hey, Sookie," she replied. "I suppose you want Eric?" She assumed. Her voice suddenly became cheerful.

"Yes," I laughed. "How did you know?" I asked.

"I'll go and get him," she replied. I heard her carrying the phone, the sounds in the background were kind of muffled. "Tell me…how did you like the present that Eric gave you? Did you enjoy your date?"

"It was a great date until…"

"Yeah, sorry about that. It couldn't be helped. We had some issues to work out," she tried to explain, evasively. "I hope you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" I asked. "I know that Eric is a busy man and that he has many responsibilities. Besides, it was just as well…Eric and I aren't your typical couple."

Pam laughed. "I'd say _not_," she agreed. "Here he is." I could hear her hand the phone to him, with a muffled, 'It's Sookie'.

"Is this my lover?" I heard him greet me on the phone. At once, I felt happy and my heart started to race. Suddenly, thoughts of Bill became distant memories of the past. "I trust that you had a good day?"

I could feel his sense of deep satisfaction at the thought. I knew that he was pleased that he had found me a lawyer that would take my case. Which reminded me that I had something to clear up with him, but first things first…

"Yes," I replied back, grinning. "I wanted to call you to thank you for the flowers."

He hesitated before answering. "For…what?"

"For the flowers," I repeated. How could he have forgotten about them already? "It was a _very_ nice gesture, even though you really have nothing to send me flowers _for." _

"Flowers?" he repeated, sounding very confused. I knew that he was trying to figure out when the last time that he had sent me flowers was.

"Yeah, you know…this morning. You _really_ shouldn't have. But they're very beautiful."

"My lover…" he paused. I could tell that he was trying to find the right words. "I didn't send you flowers this morning."

"You didn't?"

"No." I could sense him shaking his head.

"Then, how did they end up on my doorstep?" I asked, curiously.

"I don't know."

"Maybe they're Amelia's?" I wondered aloud. Yeah, that had to be it, I thought to myself. Maybe that foreman that was giving her troubles had sent them to her?

"Was there a note?" Eric asked, trying to figure it out.

"No," I answered. "There was nothing."

"Then, that proves that it _definitely_ wasn't me. I always write you little love notes when I give you gifts." I could feel Eric's sense of pride about that. He liked to write them, just to see what kind of reaction he would get. That's why he tried to be as obscene as he could be in them.

"I suppose…" I still wasn't convinced. Maybe Eric just wanted to do a nice thing and not be complimented for it? But that didn't sound like him either. He always was the first to admit to something like that. Now I was very confused. "I'll have to tell Amelia when she gets home."

Eric paused. "She's not there with you now? You are home all alone?" He asked, curiously.

"Yes," I replied back. I could read his thoughts now. He was debating whether or not he should take advantage of Amelia's absence or not. "Are you thinking of keeping me company?" I teased.

"Yes," he replied. "But I have some things to do around here. Very important things." Eric sighed. I could feel that he was torn between doing something he _wanted_ to do and doing something that he _should_.

"Don't feel like you have to be here, just because I'm all by my little ole self." I told him, softly. "I can take care of myself and I know that you have many things that you're responsible for. But…if you want to make up for your absence last night…I'm open." I hinted that I would love it if he came.

"Alright." He replied. He purposely kept his thoughts to himself, but judging by his feelings, I knew that he had made his decision. "See you soon."

I couldn't help but laugh. It was so typical of Eric. We hung up and I prepared for our night together.

Before I knew it, Eric was at my door. I pretended that I was shocked to see him. He stood there, grinning wickedly.

"I thought that you had important things to do?" I asked, making sure that my voice sounded surprised.

"I did…I do," he replied, standing on my doorstep. "_This_ is only one of them."

He took my face in his hands, leaned forward and plastered his lips against mine.

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Thanks so much for all of your comments, I really appreciate them! I hope you like this chapter!

**Disclaimer: ** Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I own nothing!

**Rated:** MA (yes, there is some sexual content in this chapter!)

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Eric's lips crushed down on mine and I was instantly consumed by his kiss. I felt his fangs elongate as they bit into my bottom lip. Eric moaned, while he tasted my blood. I moaned too, because I was so caught up in the kiss that I didn't feel any pain…only pleasure.

I felt the wall against my back. Eric must have pressed me up against it. I felt his erection through his jeans as he supported me by his hips. He grasped me by the thighs and lifted me up off of my feet. My legs instinctively wrapped around his hips.

His hands threaded up underneath my Merlotte's work shirt and cupped my breasts. He whipped it up and over my head, taking it off in one smooth motion, but I heard a ripping sound. I was now dressed only in my beige lacy bra. His hands moved down and raised the skirt of my short black skirt up over my hips.

His face buried into my cleavage. He took turns taking each nipple into his mouth through the lacy fabric. I leaned my head back, in throes of passion, which allowed him even more access. I clung to his shoulders, barely able to hold on. My hands slid underneath the Fangtasia t-shirt and touched his cool, bare skin.

I heard the zip of his zipper, as he undid his fly. I felt his fingers slip underneath my panties and moved them aside. His gracious plenty touch my swollen folds. I was more than ready for him. He entered me, moaned and grasped my hips. He drove me back against the wall as he took me. His lips moved back up to my neck. I felt his fangs bite in.

Passion spiralled out of control. No matter how much I wanted to hang on, I couldn't. As I came, my world spun out of orbit. I cried out Eric's name as my world shattered and crashed down all around me.

I felt his seed spill deep inside of me. He yelled out something in a language that I couldn't understand. After a couple of moments, while he recovered, he lifted his head and grinned down at me.

"Bite me," he said.

"What?" I asked, a little bit bewildered.

"I said, bite me." He repeated.

"Why?" I frowned. I was puzzled by what he had said.

"Because I love it when you do," he shrugged.

I studied his body. (What I could see of it, anyways.) I continued to frown, as I debated where I should bite him.

"My neck," he said, reading my mind. He turned his head away, so that I had more access to his neck.

I leaned forward and bit in. He was still buried deep inside me. I could feel him get aroused once more. He moaned. I bit and sucked. My teeth weren't sharp enough to draw very much blood, but I managed a drop or two.

He returned the favor once more. He bit into my neck. Together, we created a new meaning to the word--necking. We both bit and sucked on each others' necks, while he drove himself hard and deep inside of me. His fingers stroked me. He touched my nub right where we were joined.

Simultaneously, our world combusted and exploded. The earth seemed to move and everything seemed to move in slow motion.

I had never experienced anything like it before. This was a first for me. Not only had I never had sex pressed up against a wall…but to be bitten like that and biting him as well.

Eric leaned his forehead against mine. He gazed into my eyes. "In all these years…some things still haven't changed." He commented, almost to himself.

"What?" I asked, puzzled and confused. As much as I could read his mind…some of the things that he said from time to time, confused me. I had no clue as to what he meant by them. "You mean that you've done this before?" I wasn't too happy at the thought.

"Yes," he nodded his head. "You see, it was a long time ago…in a dark alley way…"

I held up my hand because I didn't want to hear any more about his past experiences with members of the opposite sex. "Please don't," I pleaded. "It's too much information."

Eric laughed and lowered me to the floor. "If you say so." He shrugged his shoulders. He looked down at my nipples that protruded from my bra, that he'd moved aside so that he could taste them fully. "Sorry about your shirt. I'll tell Sam to give you another one."

"You don't have to," I replied back, shaking my head.

"No, I lost control…" he shook his head. "You make me do things that I do not normally do," he explained. "It is my fault that you are now without a work shirt." I could sense his guilt and confusion about why he'd lost control. I could tell that he really didn't like knowing how little he could control himself around me.

Suddenly, he grinned down at me, with intense satisfaction. He moved away from me. I almost stumbled and fell, collapsing on to the floor. It was a good thing that he had quick reflexes. He caught me and swept me up into his arms.

He carried me into my bedroom and laid me down on the bed.

"If I knew when Amelia was coming home, I wouldn't mind refreshing our memory of using the kitchen table," I sighed.

Eric grinned. "Was there anything inside that we _didn't_ use?" He joked, as we both remembered that time together when he had lost his memory. "It's too bad…if my memory hadn't been erased…I would've been able to come up with even _more_ creative places." He winked. He felt almost conceitedly confident of the fact.

_Yes, I was sure that he could, _I thought to myself, then snorted aloud. My imagination suddenly ran amok from picturing the wildest, craziest ideas in my head. I had thought that what we had done back then was adventurous _enough_. "True, but if your memory hadn't been erased…none of that would've _ever_ happened."

"It would have eventually," Eric replied back, full of confidence and convinced that he was right. "It was only a matter of time." He grinned, wickedly down at me, all knowing.

"Okay, I admit it, you came close a couple of times…but we stopped _every_ time," I admitted, ruefully. "I probably could have evaded you for a lot longer…if you would've been the _real_ you and not some stranger who seemed perfect for me."

"Maybe," he agreed. "But I guess we will never know for sure one way or another now." He sighed. "Are you tired, lover?" he asked, full of concern, as his eyes twinkled. "I find myself wanting to do it with you once again. It seems like you are an addiction that I just can't break."

"You mean something like V?" I asked, curiously.

Eric grew silent. He stiffened in bed next to me. I could tell that his amorous mood was now gone. I wished that I hadn't asked that question.

"What?" I wondered, aloud. Judging by the look on his face and what he was feeling, I knew that something was troubling him. "Are you worried that someone you know is involved with V?"

V was vampire blood, which was sold on the black market for top dollar. The effects were powerful and made things seem better for some people. When Eric had been under the curse, we'd speculated at how much Eric's blood would bring in. His blood would be worth _a lot _of money, since he was so old and powerful.

Eric sat up in my bed, his naked body glowed in the darkened room. I couldn't make out his facial features at all, but I could tell that he was deeply troubled.

"Eric? What's wrong?" I asked, now genuinely concerned. "Has something happened? Has someone you know been involved with drainers or something?"

Eric shook his head.

This wasn't like him at all. I could feel his rage. Something was angering him pretty badly.

"Eric?" I repeated, hoping that he would answer me.

As if he had suddenly shaken himself out of his own reverie, he turned his head towards me. "It's nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "I have everything under control."

I could feel that he was trying to convince himself that he did. I wasn't sure what scared me the most… Eric, not having control… Or, Eric acting strangely secretive. Take your pick, because both managed to frighten me pretty badly. They were definitely not typical traits of his. He was usually more forthcoming and carefree.

"You could tell me if you wanted to," I offered. I sat up in bed and touched him on his bare shoulder. "I promise, I won't say a word to _anyone_. I want to be here for you, just like you're always there for me."

After speaking the words, I realized that they were even truer than I had thought. I _did_ want to support him. I wanted a give and take relationship, where one of us wasn't always taking and the other, always giving. To me, it seemed like I was always taking…without giving Eric very much in return. He had always been there for me, even when I didn't need or want it.

"No, lover," he shook his head. "It is _my_ problem. I am Sheriff. It is a part of my responsibility. I have to deal with this myself. There is no one else that has the power that I do," he sighed. "Rested assured, my lover. I have it all under control…" He was trying to comfort me now because he could feel my distress and worry.

I leaned towards him and kissed his cheek. "Just know that this relationship goes two ways…I'm here for you, just like you're here for me. You got that?" I pointed my index finger at him.

That got a slight smile to appear on his face. "Yes lover, but…God, you are bossy," he agreed and nodded his head. He turned his head and took my finger into his mouth. He held my hand there, while he sucked on my fingertip.

I felt tremors race down my arm and straight to my hootchie. I wanted him again. I gazed at him, curiously and speculatively as he continued to suck on my finger. He gazed at me with a twinkle in his eyes. I could tell that his hormones had been aroused once again as well.

He reached over and cupped my cheek. "You have a good heart. You are always giving. That's one of the things I love most about you."

"Good," I replied back, grinning. "Now, could you give me something back in return?" I asked.

"What's that, lover?"

"Take me," I pleaded.

Eric grinned, knowingly. "Do you have to ask?" Eric shook his head as if it were a silly question. "You already know what I think and feel. You're…crazy, Sookie."

"I must be," I replied, shaking my head. "I'm with you, aren't I?" I grinned, wolfishly at him.

Eric laughed aloud. It was a full-bellied laugh. "Just for that, I think you need to be spanked."

I suddenly realized that he was serious about spanking me. I shrieked and climbed off of the bed. I ran, just out of his reach, so that he couldn't catch me. I was giddy with laughter. I giggled, as I raced out of my bedroom and out into the living room. Eric followed closely behind on my heels.

I stopped suddenly, embarrassed beyond belief, because Amelia stood in the now open doorway of my house, looking straight at me. I was as naked as the day that I was born. I quickly tried to cover up myself with my hands, though that was easier said than done. Eric came up behind me and practically ran me over. He bumped into me and I wasn't sure if he had done it on purpose or by accident.

Realizing the situation, Eric quickly went back into my bedroom and came back with my robe. He wrapped it around me. He must've sensed my discomfort.

Of course, _he_ was still naked. He was proud of his naked body and had no shame. I wanted to roll my eyes. Instead, I focused my attention on Amelia.

"Hey," I greeted her, hesitantly. I could feel that my cheeks were red. I was blushing tremendously. "I…um, we…" I didn't know what to say. What could I say? Our nakedness spoke for itself. We were a couple. It didn't take a genius to figure out what we'd just been doing in my bedroom.

Amelia looked from me, up to Eric, then back again. It was her turn to blush.

Eric (of course), stood there proudly. His gracious plenty, while not fully aroused…still was impressive. I wanted to smack him. _"Couldn't you go put something on?" _I demanded in my mind. Eric was having a great time. I knew that he was purposely ignoring me because he knew how embarrassed I was, and he liked to do that.

Eric remained standing behind me, as we stood there, staring back at Amelia. Eric had a smirk on his face.

"Um…I," Amelia didn't know what to say either. _"Sookie, I'm…sorry. I'm going to head up to my room and leave you two alone." _I heard in her mind. I nodded my head in agreement. It would be the best thing.

She hastily moved past us, but I could see her glance down at Eric's gracious plenty, then tried to look away quickly before I realized it. I frowned. I didn't like knowing another woman had seen it. Which was crazy, because Lord knows _how_ many women had seen it in the thousand years that Eric had been alive.

After Amelia had disappeared up the stairs to the attic, I spun around and faced Eric.

"How _could _you?" I yelled at him. I quickly remembered that Amelia was now home, so I lowered my voice. "You're…_naked_! Have you no shame?" I cried.

Eric grinned wickedly down at me. He glanced down at his own body, then back up at me again. "What do I have to be ashamed about?" He asked, curiously. He shrugged his broad shoulders. "I thought that you liked my body."

"Argh!" I growled. I raised my hands up in the air, in frustration. I stomped back into my bedroom and slammed the door behind me. I flung myself on to my bed. I buried my head in my pillow and screamed into it. _Why didn't Eric understand what I was trying to say? Shouldn't he know? _

I felt his presence enter the room and walked slowly towards me on the bed. _Damn him and this stupid bond that we had! _Couldn't he understand that I wanted to be alone?

"Why?" Eric asked me, softly, as he sat down on the bed next to me. "I thought that you were beginning to like this bond? I do not understand. I do not understand why you are so angry with me." He reached over and tried to touch my shoulder.

I moved away from him, so that he couldn't touch me. I knew that there was no way that I could refuse his touch otherwise. I rolled over and sat up in bed. I glared at him in the darkness. "Because I'm embarrassed. Amelia is my friend and I…" I paused, because I suddenly realized that I was going to tell him that I was jealous.

Yeah...little ole me was jealous. I knew what had gone through her mind when she had seen his gracious plenty and I didn't like it. Eric was _mine_…nobody else should be able to see him the same way that I did. I almost had to laugh at myself, because that sounded an awful lot like something that _he'd _say. But I was too mad.

"It's not just that…it's also because it was very awkward for me. If she didn't know before…she knows now…that we're sleeping together." I sighed.

"Who _doesn't_ know?" Eric asked, surprised that I would think that way. "I know that I have told _everyone_ that _I_ know, that we are." He had the audacity to smile down at me proudly.

His comment made me lay back down on the bed and bury my face into my pillow again. I groaned. Now, I was utterly embarrassed. _Everyone knew? _Not that I'd really cared in the past about what other people thought of me, but this was too much. I must look like some sort of wanton woman, who's a glutton for punishment, I thought to myself.

"No, you are not," Eric tried to comfort me once again. He had read my mind. "It just means that you have great taste in men and that you enjoy life." He smiled tenderly down at me.

I groaned once again. I raised my head and looked up at him. "Would you _please_ leave me alone? I want to suffer my embarrassment in peace," I told him, angrily. "You got what you wanted. You're free to leave." I said, quickly dismissing him.

"Lover," he hesitated, before answering. "_You_ are what I want. Not just your body…but your heart and soul as well. When are you going to realize that what we have is really special and rare?"

"I have…I do," I spoke up, as I realized that Eric still didn't understand. "I just think that this situation would blow over quicker, if you were to leave, that's all. I don't want Amelia woken up in the middle of the night because you and I are doing the hanky-panky," I explained.

"My bonded is shy," Eric replied, softly. He smiled down at me tenderly. "Fine, if you really want me to leave, I will. But I don't think that you do. Am I right?"

Damn our bond! He knew too much about me to give me even an inch. "Fine, whatever," I replied back, refusing to admit to it. "But it doesn't make any difference. I still think that it's for the best right now. I definitely _don't _want Amelia to wake up and realize that you're still here. It will be bad enough as it is without you being here too." I tried to explain.

Eric wasn't happy, I could feel. He was still really confused and wanted to stay with me. "Are you sure?" he asked, curiously.

No, I wasn't sure, I thought to myself.

"Then, why do you want me to leave when it's obvious that you don't?" he asked, curiously, having read my mind again.

Stupid bond. I cried out in frustration once again. "Quit doing that!" I yelled at him. "Grrr… I can't think when you… I can't see straight when you… Do things like that." I finished, lamely. "Sometimes, I wouldn't mind it if you would _pretend_ that you can't read my mind," I sighed.

"Why?" Eric asked, both puzzled and confused. He frowned. "I like this. It makes me feel closer to you. I like knowing everything that you think and feel. It makes me want to protect you and be around you more."

"I feel like I have no privacy anymore," I explained, dejection sounding in my voice. "Believe me, it's not always good to know what everybody is thinking."

"But I do not care for _everybody_," Eric replied. "Just you. _Only _you. The rest of the world can go away as far as I am concerned. I have no use for any other humans."

I stared up at him, hopelessly. "I don't understand how you can be so…cool and nonchalant about that. We, humans don't want to be remembered as only a speck of dust in time."

"But you are," Eric pointed out. "Why do you think that I do not bother to waste my time with human beings, except for you, that is…?" he amended, quickly, as I glared at him. He could read my mind and my feelings. "There is something about you… I do not know what… but from the first moment we met, you made an impression on me."

I smiled. "Maybe it's because of my telepathy and fae blood?" I joked.

"No," Eric shook his head. "It's something _more _than that." He gazed at me, thoughtfully. I could tell in his mind that he was confused about what it was exactly. "Until you…no woman ever touched me. Until you…no woman was able to see into my heart. Until you…I never let anybody see the real me."

"And you have with me?" I asked, incredulously. Didn't you just love a romantic kind of guy? What he said, was similar to how the poets wrote their love poems. My heart fluttered in my chest.

He glanced down, reached out and placed his cool palm on my chest, right above my rapidly beating heart. "Yes," he said. "But if my leaving is what you want…" If he could breathe, he would've taken a deep breath right then, so he pretended to sigh. "I will go."

He stood up from the side of the bed and put on his clothes. I watched him while he dressed, half-drooling and half-disappointed. I didn't want him to go. I just thought that it would be the best thing until I smoothed things over with Amelia.

"You'll come back soon?" I asked, hopefully, after he had finished dressing. I stared up at him, praying that he would.

Eric leaned down and kissed my eyelids and the tip of my nose; then a light peck on my lips. "Of course," he replied, softly. "I am only a phone call away." He gave me a kiss full on the lips and I could feel myself melt from his touch. He slowly ended the kiss and drew away from me. "Let me know what happens."

With that, he disappeared through my bedroom door. I could hear him open and close the front door, then heard him fly away.

I sighed. Although I was tired, I had too many thoughts rolling through my brain. I laid down in bed, hoping that it would help me fall asleep quicker, but it didn't.

It was a full moon outside. I suddenly noticed a shadow move across my bedroom window. I sat up in bed, alarmed at what I saw. I clutched my covers up to my neck. The figure was in the shape of a man, I thought. He wasn't as tall as Eric was, so it couldn't have been him. I somehow knew that whomever this was, had waited until Eric had left before showing up at my window.

I wasn't sure what I should do. Should I open up the curtain and confront him? Should I call for help? Eric wouldn't have gone too far…he could make it back in time, couldn't he? I slowly reached over to my night stand, where my cell phone was. All the while, my gazed fixed heavily on the shadowy figure.

I dialed Eric's number. I heard his cell phone ringing in my ear…

**TBC**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note**: Thank you all so much for your great comments/reviews! I'm glad that you're enjoying my story! Thanks so much for reading! I hope you like this chapter!

**Disclaimer**: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris, I am only borrowing them for a little while.

**Rated**: M

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"Eric," he answered, briskly, in his usual phone answering technique.

"Eric, I need you," I whispered to him over the phone. I didn't want the lurker outside of my window to overhear, because he might try something funny…like enter through my bedroom window. I knew that Eric would be able to hear me anyways.

"What is wrong, lover?"

"There's someone…a man, I think, outside of my bedroom window," I explained, in a hushed whisper. "Can you please come back here and check it out? I'm scared…" I couldn't keep the sound of fear from my voice.

"Your wish is my command," he replied. "Do not move. Stay in your bedroom. I will be there soon." He ordered, issuing instructions.

I didn't argue with him. If there was anyone who knew that they were doing when it came to stuff like this, it was Eric. I was immensely grateful and relieved. "Thank you, Eric." I breathed a sigh of relief.

We hung up and I sat, huddled in my bed with the covers pulled up to my neck. I watched that shadow in my window for what seemed like ages. I tried reading the shadows' mind to see if it was a human or not. It wasn't. It was definitely a vampire, because I could feel a blank hole, where I would normally feel brainwaves. I only hoped that Eric got there in time. The shadow looked like it was trying to figure out a way to get in. Every time it looked like it had figured out a way, it looked liked it decided against it. Either, the vampire didn't have an invitation inside my home or the vampire was confused. I hoped that it was the former, rather than the later. You never knew what crazy people might do and for vampires, it was even worse.

My heart raced. I knew that Eric was coming. I could feel him getting closer and closer to me. I could feel a mixture of emotions getting stronger and stronger. I could feel that he was angry and out for blood. I could feel his excitement. It made me excited too. I suddenly felt a burst of energy that I hadn't felt before.

I stared at the shadow at my window. I knew that Eric wouldn't like it, but I didn't like feeling as helpless and as useless as I was feeling now. I wanted to help Eric. I decided to be brave and to face it head on.

I climbed out of bed and tip-toed towards the window. I pulled back the curtain just a little bit, but not so much so that the lurker would know that I was standing there looking at him.

It was a full moon outside. I could see that it was a male vampire, but I couldn't make out his features or anything. He must have heard Eric land because suddenly the vampire took off into the woods. I watched him until he disappeared.

I saw Eric approach my window. I opened it up so that I could talk to him.

"He raced off over that way," I pointed towards the woods. Eric looked in the direction that I was pointing at. "He's also a vampire," I explained, knowing that Eric would appreciate as much information as I could supply.

"He is heading towards Bill's," he said. He dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed what I assumed was Bill's number. "Bill, there was a vampire who was spying on Sookie through her bedroom window. No, I was too far away to recognize him. He is heading your way through the woods. Take care of it if you see him. As soon as you handle the situation, call me back." He instructed, before ending the phone call. He turned towards me. His eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm more scared than anything, but now that you're here…I feel much safer." I replied back, relieved that he had come so quickly. "Did you see him at all?"

"No," Eric frowned and shook his head. "I did not get close enough to get a good look. Did you?" He asked, curiously.

I shook my head. "No, it was too dark," I explained. I paused, while I thought about who it might have been. "Who could it be?" I voiced my questions aloud. "What was he doing outside my bedroom window?"

Eric climbed through my opened bedroom window and closed it behind him. "I do not know but…rest assured, lover, I _will_ find out." He vowed, trying to reassure me. He took me into his arms and gave me a kiss on the top of my head and gave me a hug. He looked at the clock on the night stand. "Bill will be calling me back soon." He frowned. "I do not like this. I should go out searching for this vamp."

"No," I pleaded with him to stay. "I need you here with me." I squeezed him around the middle of his waist, making it impossible for him to move. "Please don't go," I begged.

"Do not worry, lover. As much as I want to go take care of this, I will not leave you alone. This could be a trap. He may come back while I am searching and do something harmful to you. No…" Eric shook his head, thinking things through. "I will stay." He pulled back from me to take a good look at my face. "You never invited him in, did you?"

"No," I shook my head, relieved. I wondered who it could be. I looked at my alarm clock and wondered why Bill hadn't called Eric back yet. "Do you think that Bill has seen him? Do you think that Bill is okay?" I asked, scared at the possibility. Although, I didn't really care about him anymore. Showing up in my room, like he'd done the night before was making me scared that Bill not might have my best interests at heart either.

I wondered if I should say anything about it to Eric. But then again, I didn't think that I could live with the guilt that Eric's actions would make me feel. Eric would be brought in front of the Vampire Magistrate. He would have to pay a stiff fine. It would be all _my _fault. Better to keep my mouth shut as a way to protect Eric, I thought. I knew that there were still a number of vampires who weren't happy with my relationship with Eric as it was. Being the cause of a trial in front of the Vampire Magistrate, would only enforce their convictions.

"We will find out soon enough," Eric replied back. "In the meantime…you need to go back to bed. You had an eventful day and you have a lot of things that you need to do."

"For Hunter, you mean."

"Yes," Eric replied back. "Come…" he flipped the covers back on my bed and motioned for me to climb back in. "Go to sleep. I am here. I will keep you safe."

Since he was right, I _was _tired and I knew that he would keep me safe, I didn't argue. I climbed back underneath the covers. Eric tucked me in. I smiled up at him, as he sat down next to me on the bed. "You have great bedside manners," I commented in the darkness. "That means that when Hunter comes to live with me, I know that you'll be able to tuck him in too. I won't have to worry about things if I'm working late."

Eric laughed. "Well…we will see," he replied back, not wanting to go there yet. "I have not even met him. What if he and I hate each other?" He pointed out.

"Perish the thought," I exclaimed, aghast at the thought. "But if you _do_ get along…will you tell him bedtime stories? I'm sure that you're full of them." I teased.

Eric laughed. "As I said…we will see. I am still getting used to the idea of not having our privacy anymore. Are you sure that you want that interrupted?" His hand slid underneath my pajama top and cupped my breast. I knew exactly what he meant about having privacy. He wanted to be able to do bad things to me. I grinned, in the darkness.

Before I could answer, Eric's cell phone rang. Eric picked it up, expecting it to be Bill. "Yes?" Eric answered, impatiently. "I see." He listened some more. "I see," he repeated. "Are you sure?" He asked. He waited some more. "Okay. Talk to you soon. Oh, and Bill…thanks." He hung up the phone and then placed it on my night stand.

"Well?" I asked, curiously, impatient. "Did Bill see him? What happened? Does he know who it was?"

Eric shook his head. "Bill told me that he searched the woods, but he did not find anything. The vamp must have left. The other night, I asked Bill to look after you, if I am busy taking care of business elsewhere."

I had to keep control of my emotions so that he wouldn't be able to tell just how scared I was that Bill was going to be looking out for me. I wondered if I should mention what happened the other night _now_.

He looked down at me, with concern. "I do not like this," he frowned.

"What?" I asked, still trying to find control. _Had he read my mind? _I was sure that I had been keeping it purposely from him. I didn't want Eric to leave to go confront Bill. I wasn't sure if he was behind everything that had happened and Bill _had_ apologized to me. I wanted to leave things as they were. Eric had enough worries of his own. I didn't want to burden him any further.

"I do not like it that you live here and not closer to me. Maybe you should move in with me until we find out who this man is," he frowned.

I sighed. "Eric, you know that I can't do that. Besides, Amelia is back, maybe she can cast a spell on the house like she did before?" I suggested, hoping that he would agree to that idea.

"A spell…" Eric shook his head. I could tell that he didn't like the idea. "I still think it would be better if you were protected by me."

"Eric," I sighed. It seemed like it was a never-ending discussion between Eric and me. "I don't like this any more than you do, but I can't leave my house. I can't leave my job. I need the money more so now than I ever did before. Thanks for the offer, but I hope you can understand that."

Eric nodded his head. "You are a stubborn woman," he grumbled and complained. "Remind me why I wanted you in the first place?"

I smiled. "Because you liked my hot body and my telepathic mind?" I quipped back.

"Oh…yes," he replied. He grinned down at me. He liked my answer. "Go to sleep. I will make sure that the vampire does not return or scare you again."

Content that Eric was there and that he would keep me safe, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When I awoke the next day, the first thought that came to mind was that I never did confront Eric about hiring Mr. Cataliades without my knowledge or consent. I sighed. Maybe it was for the best if I accepted his generosity for what it was, and just moved on.

After I had showered and dressed for work, I walked out into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee. Amelia was seated at the table, reading the morning paper. She looked up at me, as I sat down. This was what I had been scared to face, with Eric still in the house, I thought to myself.

"Morning," I greeted her. I glanced down at the paper that she was holding in her hands. "Anything newsworthy?" I asked. I wanted to try to put what had happened the night before behind us.

"No…nothing," Amelia replied, then went back to reading her paper.

"Look…" I spoke up, hating the awkwardness in the room. "I'm sorry that you walked in on…that. We didn't know that you had returned home," I apologized, shamefully.

"Sookie…it's really not worth talking about," Amelia tried to shift the blame. "Honestly, you and Eric are happy and together…I'm sorry that I interrupted you," she apologized too. She grinned at me from across the table. "I trust that you had an interesting night."

_If she only knew, _I thought to myself. Suddenly, I wondered if Amelia had heard anything suspicious happen during the night. "Hey, I don't suppose that you heard anything…strange last night, did you?"

"Like what?" She asked, curiously.

"There was someone outside my bedroom window," I explained, shrugging my shoulders. "It appeared like they were spying on me."

"No," Amelia replied back, startled. "Was it someone you know?" She asked, suddenly very concerned.

"I don't know," I shook my head. "It was dark. I couldn't make out his face or anything. When Eric returned, he took off towards Bill's. All I know is that it was definitely a vampire," I explained.

Amelia blinked. "I thought Eric was with you all night? Where did he go?" she asked, puzzled and confused.

"Um…I told him to leave after…you know, after what happened with you. I told him that it would be less awkward for us if he weren't around," I answered.

"Oh," Amelia replied back. She didn't comment on it any more than that. "And you've never seen this vampire before?" She questioned.

"Well, it was dark. The vampire wasn't able to enter our house. I'm assuming that they didn't have an invitation. Most vampires I know have one." _Although, there was one in particular that I was definitely thinking about rescinding. _But I didn't tell Amelia that. I wanted to wait until things blew over with this first. Eric _had_ enlisted Bill to watch out for me in his absence after all. Eric would question why I had rescinded my invitation to Bill.

I went into work. It was busy, since it was the weekend. My feet ached by the time that I was finished my shift. The only good thing about it was that I had earned a lot of extra money in tips. That would definitely help in my fight to gain custody of Hunter.

It had been relatively uneventful, for a bar on a Saturday night, except for when I had gone on my break. Sam had called me into his office.

"How are you doing, Sookie?" he asked, full of concern.

"Good, why?" I didn't know why he would call me into his office, just to ask me that. There had to be another reason, I thought.

"Oh…nothing." Sam replied, hesitantly. "How are things going between you and Eric?"

This was new, I thought to myself. Sam was asking me questions about Eric. Usually, he steered clear of any topic that concerned him. "Um…good."

Sam stared at me, thoughtfully. "I've heard that he's making it known that you're together."

"Yeah, sure." I really didn't want to have this conversation with him. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No," Sam shook his head. "I'm just curious. I wanted to find out if what I'm hearing is true."

"What are you hearing?"

"Well…" Sam leaned forward in his chair behind the desk. "I've heard that things are getting pretty serious between you and Eric and…that you are even planning on adopting a child together?"

"Oh," I replied back. I frowned. I somehow had a feeling that I knew where he had heard that piece of information from. "Where did you hear that piece of interesting gossip?" I asked, angrily, not really wanting to get into it with him. I had always hated being the center of town gossip in the past.

"I heard it from Portia Bellefleur. She came in here, drank lots of booze and then proceeded to tell everyone in the bar that night about you and your plans. Knowing your relationship with Eric, I guessed that you and he decided to do this together," he explained. "Excuse me, but I'm a little surprised. Eric doesn't strike me as the fatherly type."

"Well, he's got Pam doesn't he?" I pointed out. Portia was the last source that I had expected. Although, it shouldn't surprise me either. She had always liked to gossip. "I'm sure she told everyone what her thoughts were on the matter," I grumbled, switched back to the subject at hand.

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it." Sam grinned, sheepishly at me. "So, it's true? You're adopting a kid?" He asked, incredulously.

"Yeah," I admitted, shyly. "It's true. I'm sorry that you didn't hear it from me first."

Sam blinked. "Excuse me, but I thought you always wanted to get married _first _before having children? And I thought that you wanted to have children of your own? What made you change your mind?" He asked.

"Um…" This conversation was not a very comfortable one to be having with a boss. And the boss in question used to have affectionate feelings for me too. I shifted around in my seat. "It's Hadley's kid," I explained. "His father recently died. He wants to live with me and I told him that he could."

"Oh," Sam was speechless.

"Eric hired a lawyer for me and he's been really great and supportive…even though he thinks it's a bad idea."

"I do too," Sam replied. "It seems that Eric and I agree on a lot of things that concern you."

"Sam…" Just like his words, I could tell that he wasn't crazy over the idea either. "Like I told Eric, my mind is made up. I'm going to do all that I can to make sure that Hunter is placed in a decent home and I hope that it's mine. He needs me and I'm the only one who can really help him."

"Why do you think that?" He asked, curiously.

"Because he…" I wasn't sure if I should tell Sam. The less people who knew about Hunter's telepathy, the better. I was already protecting him like a mother, I realized. "Let's just say that…nobody really understands unless they're a part of my family."

Sam stared at me for a few moments, while he thought about what I said. "No wonder Eric seems to be supportive." He assumed. "It's part of your blood-bond."

"I guess…" I replied back, uncomfortable about having this conversation. "Excuse me, Sam, but would you mind if I went back to work? I need the money so that I can have some money saved up for Hunter."

"Fine, go ahead." Sam waved me out of his office. I walked out and back into the area behind the bar.

Arlene noticed me putting my apron back on and came up beside me while she poured some drinks for her customers.

"Sookie," she stated, in an unfriendly-like manner.

"Arlene," I replied back, not sure if she wanted to talk to me or not. I stood there and looked at her, expectantly. I guessed that she hadn't wanted to talk to me because, after she had finished pouring her drinks, she returned back to her tables, not saying another word.

I sighed. I had wanted to ask her a few things about being a single mother. How does she manage it and who she could recommend for a babysitter? But I was scared. She had changed a lot in the short while that she had been dating a man from the Fellowship of the Sun. I wasn't sure how to talk to her anymore. But I knew that I would eventually have to ask her, since she was the only one I knew that had kids and would know what to do.

I returned back to work.

After my shift ended, I cleaned up, walked out to my car and climbed in. I drove home, with the radio station turned up. Even though it had been loud in the bar, with everyone's thoughts and the music playing on the jukebox, I wanted to hear some noise. Probably so that I wouldn't feel alone.

It was late at night. I was driving down the highway towards my house. I wanted to get there quickly, because it had been a long day. The road was twisty and hilly, but still I sped home. I could tell that Eric's bad driving habits were beginning to rub off on me. I hoped that I didn't get pulled over with a ticket.

My talk with Sam somehow made me feel a little bit better. While he didn't like the fact that I was adopting Hunter either, I could tell that he would support me too. I was glad.

My thoughts switched to wondering who had been lurking outside of my bedroom window the night before. What did they want with me? Did it have to do with my telepathy? Did it have to do with Eric? Who was it? Was it Bill? I was relieved that Eric had decided to stay the night after that. I knew that he had been wanting to go chasing after the guy who had been there, but had decided to watch over me instead. I was grateful that he had known that I wouldn't want to be alone after all of that. Even if they had managed to find out who it had been, I had confidence that Eric would get to the bottom of it sooner or later.

Sometimes I was really glad that he was the sheriff and was as powerful as he was.

I drove along, not really paying attention to the road, when suddenly I felt one of my tires go flat. I carefully manoeuvred the car over to the side of the road, and stopped the car.

_Great, a flat tire on a dark and deserted road, _I thought to myself. What were the chances?

I had visions of past horror movies that I had seen; suddenly pop into my mind. Many of the murders in them had started off exactly this same way. I fought back my fears. _Those were only in the movies_, I thought to myself. _They didn't happen to me. _I climbed out of my car and opened up my trunk, hoping that my spare tire was inflated and drivable. It wasn't.

_Great, now what was I going to do? _I wondered. I rushed back to my car door and dug inside my purse for my phone. After what had happened with my car when I had saved King Felipe and Eric from Seibert, I had Tray Dawson's phone number on speed dial.

There wasn't anybody there, but I left a message for him to call me back. I hung up the phone, trying to figure out what else I should do. I realized that I would have to call Eric, even though he was in Shreveport dealing with things there. It might take him awhile to get here, but I knew that Eric would come to my rescue regardless.

I dialed his number and Pam answered.

"Fangtasia," she greeted into the phone with a bored sounding voice. "Where _all _your fantasies come true." She added, almost sarcastically.

"Hey, Pam," I greeted her as soon as I could. "I need to speak to Eric, is he busy?"

"Hey, Sookie," she replied. "Yes, he is, but I'm sure he won't mind being interrupted since it's you that's calling. How are you?"

"Well…" I didn't know if I wanted to get into it with her, but I figured that she would hear about it eventually. "I have a flat tire. That's why I'm calling. You see, my spare is flat and I have no way to get home. I left a message with Tray Dawson, but he hasn't called me back yet," I explained.

"Oh, a flat…" Pam replied, gleefully. "I remember when I came across this girl with a flat. She was very tasty."

"Pam, you're not helping." The images in my mind that her words conjured up didn't help matters any. I was freaked out enough as it was.

Pam laughed. "Okay, I will get the man."

Eric came on the line. "Yes?" He asked, curiously. Just from the sound of his voice, I knew that he wasn't alone and that his visitors were vampires.

"Eric, I need a favor," I began to explain. "I have a flat tire and I'm stranded on the side of the road."

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks so much for all of your wonderful comments! I'm glad that you're enjoying this story! It won't be long now and Charlaine's book, Dead In The Family will be released! Yay! I don't know about you, but I'm extremely looking forward to it.

**Disclaimer:** Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris, I am only borrowing them for awhile.

**Rated:** M

**Chapter 13**

I hung up the phone with Eric. I was disappointed that his meeting was keeping him from me. The meeting was very important and King Felipe had even made the trip to town. Since he wasn't able to come help me, he was planning on sending Pam. While I waited, I leaned against the side of my car and hoped that the minutes flew by quickly. It was scary being out here all alone at night.

Images of horror scenes flashed before my eyes once again. As numerous axe-murderers and rapists came to mind. Every little sound that I heard made me jump up and take a look around. Should I wait inside the car?

I heard some kind of rustling sounds coming from the woods. I quickly opened up my car door and climbed inside. No wild animals or insane psychos would be able to attack me from behind in here, I thought to myself. I turned on my ignition and my radio up. At least this way, I wouldn't be able to hear the creatures scurrying around at night. I used my flashers, to alert other drivers. I kept my headlights on because it was just too scary in the dark and I could see anything coming into view.

There wasn't even a full-moon. It was cloudy and not a star shone in the sky. It was very dark, with only the lights from my headlights, the only sign of life. Bugs flurried around in the beam of lights from my headlights. Those would be enough to freak me out as it was. I hated bugs.

I tried to relax. The music was happy and made me want to dance, but even still…it was hard to relax. Every time a car drove past me, I hoped that they didn't slow down and stop. My heart would rapidly beat whenever they got close.

While I wasn't adverse to having some kind of roadside assistance, I didn't want it either. I knew that Pam would be able to at least give me a ride home in her car. That was enough for now.

I waited through a number of songs on the radio. I wasn't sure how long. I noticed in the reflection in my rear-view mirror, a set of headlights pull up behind me. I wondered if it was Pam at last. That was how I had looked at every pair of headlights for the past little while, hoping and praying that it was finally her.

The car slowed when it came near me. It stopped behind me, with it's headlights on. The driver stepped out. I couldn't make out much more than the driver's figure, as they slowly approached the side of my car.

One thing I knew, was that the figure was that of a man. Not a woman and nobody resembling Pam's coloring. I quickly locked my door, so that the only way the person would be able to talk to me was through the opened window, which I quickly rolled up too. You couldn't act too cautious in situations like these, I figured.

I heard the driver knock on my window beside me. I glanced up, praying that the person didn't have a gun or a knife or any other kind of weapon that would be able to hurt me.

I was surprised to see that it was someone that I recognized. I quickly rolled down my window to talk to them.

"Hey, Bill," I greeted him, as if it was every day that I found myself stranded on the side of the road. I wasn't sure if I should be cautious or thankful that he had shown up. I was still scared about his recent actions.

"Sookie, what are you doing out here alone by the side of the road?" he wondered, sounding surprised.

"Um…I got a flat," I explained.

Bill looked down at my wheels, and checked them out. He walked around my car until he could see the one in question. He came back to my driver's side door once again.

"What happened to your spare?" He asked, acting concerned.

"Um…it's flat too," I replied back, grumpily. I was not the most responsible person that made sure that my car was running in peak performance. It cost a lot of money that I didn't have. I hated to admit that it was due to my own neglect, that I was now stranded.

"Would you like a ride home?" He offered, in a friendly-like manner.

"No," I shook my head. "Pam's coming. She's on her way now."

Don't ask me why I didn't take him up on his offer. There was just something telling me not to go with him.

"Sookie, it would be no problem for me," he insisted. "We live next door to each other. Pam has to come all this way from Shreveport. You should not have to wait. This is very impractical."

"Yes, well…" I tried to explain. "What's done is done. I called Eric and he's arranged for her to come here."

Bill looked disappointed. "You really like to create trouble, don't you, Sookie?" Bill sighed. "I think you should come with me. I can call Pam up on my cell phone to let her know that I picked you up instead."

I grumbled to myself. Bill was making it impossible for me to refuse. I hated waiting there all alone in the dark. It was dangerous. I was tired and just wanted to get home and climb into bed. Reluctantly, I decided to do as Bill said.

"Okay, but can you please call her right now before she drives too far?" I suggested, hopefully.

Bill nodded his head. He dug his cell phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed Pam's number. I couldn't hear what he said to her because he turned his back to me. I hoped that Pam wouldn't feel like I didn't appreciate her efforts.

Bill turned around after he had finished his phone call. "It is done. She is going to turn back around and head back to Fangtasia," he explained.

I grabbed my purse and opened up my car door. I climbed out of my car. Bill escorted me to his. I could feel his hand gently resting on the middle of my back, as he nudged me towards his car. He opened the door in a gentlemanly fashion. I climbed in. He closed it and walked around the car and climbed into the driver's seat.

Slowly, he drove away. We drove towards both of our homes. I didn't say very much. Bill seemed to be uncomfortable.

"Sookie, I am very glad that this happened. I did not think that I would have a few moments alone with you to explain." He tried to broach the touchy subject.

"Look, Bill," I spoke up, before he could say anything more. "Let's just forget that it happened, okay? I won't tell Eric how you surprised me in my bedroom and I will accept your apology. Let's let bygones be bygones," I explained, as I held up my hand, warding him off.

"Okay," Bill agreed, as he nodded his head. "I want you to know that I am still very sorry. I truly only wanted to find out for myself if what Eric had told me, was true or not."

I sighed. I turned to look out of the window, thankful to see my yard coming up in the distance. It wouldn't be long now.

"Why aren't you in Shreveport?" I asked, curiously, as a sudden thought hit me. "King Felipe is in town. Why aren't _you_ there?" I wondered.

Bill glanced at me, then turned back to the road. "I…It's a long story," he hedged.

I felt suddenly suspicious. If Bill hadn't been called into Fangtasia where the King who he vowed fealty to, was visiting, what was going on? Bill was the biggest money maker and best researcher. It seemed logical for him to be there. Was it a secret meeting that Bill was too low on the totem pole, to be at?

I was thankful when Bill pulled into my driveway and pulled up in front of my house. The only lights that were on were from my outdoor lights. It was a welcoming feeling. Something that I really needed at that moment.

Bill stopped the car, unbuckled his seat belt, climbed out of the car to open the door up for me. I stepped out of the car, pulled my house keys from my purse and approached my front door. Before I opened the door, I spun around to face Bill.

"Thanks for taking me home," I said, appreciatively. "I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Bill replied. He stood on my step, and waited for me to unlock the door and enter my house.

I turned back around to do just that. I entered, knowing from the looks of things, that Amelia must have gone to bed already.

"Would you mind if I had a bottle of Tru Blood?" Bill asked, from behind me.

His presence startled me, not because I didn't know that he was there, but because I realized that Amelia wasn't awake. I felt the hairs rise up on the back of my neck. There was something awkward about having Bill inside my home. I just didn't know why…maybe it was because of what happened the other night? Maybe it was because I still hadn't shaken my suspicions that he might be stalking me. I wanted him to leave.

But I did owe him for taking me home. It was the least that I could do to pay him back. "Okay." I walked into my kitchen, pulled out a bottle from the fridge, then heated it up in the microwave.

The phone rang while I was waiting for Bill's bottle to heat up. I answered it, expecting that it was Eric, who wanted to make sure that I had made it home in one piece. I wondered what he had thought of Pam returning back to Fangtasia earlier than expected. I was sure he hadn't expected her to return that quickly.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Sookie?" It was Pam. What did she want? "How did you get home?"

I blinked. Pam didn't know? "Um…Bill came by and picked me up," I explained, both puzzled and confused. "Didn't he call you?"

"No," Pam grumbled and complained. "He did not. I am standing here by your car right now," she explained. "When I noticed that you were nowhere in sight, I grew worried…mostly because I did not know what had happened to you and I dreaded having to tell Eric about it."

That Pam, I thought to myself. I rolled my eyes. Her kind-heartedness sometimes warmed my heart. "I thought for sure that Bill called you. He told me that he did," I frowned. I looked towards the living room, where I knew that Bill was waiting expectantly for his blood.

"No, he did not," she repeated. I could tell that she was puzzled by this news too. "But you are home safe and sound now, right?" She asked, just to be sure.

"Yes," I replied back, hoping to put her mind at ease. "I'm going to have a talk with Bill." He needed to explain to me why he didn't really call Pam, when he had said that he had. I had thought that I saw him do it, in fact.

"Good," I could tell that Pam was wanting an explanation too. "Would you mind if still I came by?" She asked.

I knew that she was only doing it to satisfy her own curiosity, but I would allow it. There was something fishy going on. And this wasn't the first time that Bill had acted suspiciously. It would ease my mind if I had Pam there too, just in case I needed help from someone stronger. "You're more than welcome to," I invited her, relieved.

We hung up. I started to think of some ways that I could stall Bill, so that he wouldn't try anything until Pam got there. I bit my lip in thought.

"Are you having problems?" Bill spoke up from behind me.

I jumped out of my skin. I hadn't heard him enter the kitchen. How long had he been there? I hoped that it wasn't for too long. I didn't want Bill to suspect that Pam was on her way.

"Um…no, here," I reached into the microwave and handed it to him. "Let's sit out in the living room," I suggested. It would also give me a better view of the driveway, so that I would be able to see Pam's headlights when she entered my yard, I thought to myself.

Bill followed me. I sat down on the couch. I expected him to sit down somewhere else. Somewhere far from me, but he sat down right next to me. He took a sip of his blood, then looked around the room. I wondered if he noticed anything different about it since the last time he'd been there. Probably not, I thought, but then again, the only difference now was that there were pictures of Eric and I in framed photos; scattered around on shelves and tables.

"Pam just called." I spoke up, ending the awkward silence that had permeated the room.

"Oh?" Bill took a sip from his bottle.

"Yeah, she told me something _very_ interesting…" I stared at Bill, curiously. "I thought you called her, but she says that you didn't--"

"Would you look at the time!" Bill exclaimed, suddenly, as he looked at the clock on the wall. "I didn't realize that it was quite so late. I am sorry, Sookie, but I _really_ have to go."

I stared at him, very puzzled and confused. I was disappointed that I wasn't going to get to the bottom of things tonight.

Bill stood up and quickly left, leaving his bottle half empty on my coffee table. He was acting very strange, I thought.

It wasn't long before Pam showed up at my door. I quickly answered it. Pam stepped in and took in the empty living room before turning back towards me, with her eyebrow raised. She must have noticed the half empty bottle of Tru Blood on my coffee table too.

"Bill left?" she asked, suspiciously. She stared at me, while she waited for me to answer.

"Yes…it was very strange," I frowned. "I mentioned something about how he didn't call you and he…left."

"You are right. That is _very_ strange. Even for Bill," she agreed. "Tell me." She insisted, somehow knowing that there was more to this story than I was telling.

I sighed. Did I have any choice? What if she mentioned something to Eric?

"Ok-ay, but you have to promise me something first," I replied, anxiously.

"Fine, what do you want me to promise?" Pam asked.

"That you won't say anything about this to Eric," I explained.

She stared at me, as if pondering whether or not she could do it. She was his child. He could, after all, just order her to tell him and she would have no choice in the matter. Her curiosity and concern won out, however. "Okay, I promise…I will not say anything about it to Eric," she vowed. "Unless he orders me to," she added, just in case.

It was as close to a promise as I could get and I knew it. I decided that it was better than nothing. I began to tell her about all of Bill's actions. The notes. The flowers. My suspicions. Everything. Her eyes grew round at the end of my tale.

"I do not understand why you will not tell Eric," she frowned, after I had explained everything. "He loves you. He would make sure that you were kept safe. He would protect you. He would have no problems dealing with Bill. That is his job as Sheriff."

"True, but what if Eric couldn't control himself? What if he let his feelings get in the way and he does something that he would regret?" I pointed out to her. "I couldn't live with myself, knowing that Eric did something to someone who vowed him fealty and would have to pay the consequences for it."

"But that is the price that a vampire has to pay if they overstep the boundaries. Especially if they mess with their Sheriff's bonded," Pam explained. "All of us vampires expect such punishment. We know the rules. If we break them, then we know that we have to accept the punishment for what it is. The magistrate would probably see it as such too. They would accept it. I have no doubts that Eric would not be punished for any action that he may have to do, as a result," she tried to reassure me. "Besides, it is not as if Bill's maker is still alive. You killed her yourself." She eyed me, pointedly.

I knew that she was trying to reassure me, the only way that she knew how. But it was easier said than done. Even if Eric didn't have to pay a stiff penalty, I would have to live with the knowledge that Bill (a former lover and my first love) had been punished because of something that had to do with me. I didn't think that I could live with the guilt that would bring. I decided to drop the subject for now.

"As long as you're here…would you like a Tru-Blood?" I offered, graciously.

Pam looked towards the steps leading up to the attic, where Amelia slept. "Amelia's awake." She replied instead. I knew that she could hear Amelia, with her powerful hearing.

I heard Amelia come down the stairs, in her nightgown. She blushed, when she noticed Pam standing there. "Pam, what are you doing here?" She asked, curiously.

"I am here because…" she glanced at me before answering. "I was under Eric's orders, but now, I am here under my own." Her eyes glittered at Amelia, taking her in. Pam licked her lips in anticipation. "Would you care for some company?"

Amelia nodded her head. Pam followed her up the stairs, leaving me alone in my living room. I didn't really want to think about what the two of them were doing. I locked up the doors and turned off the lights, then headed into my bedroom.

I laid down in bed, trying to figure out what I should do. Should I tell Eric? Do I dare trust the magistrate? What if Pam was wrong? I wouldn't be able to live with myself either way. I was damned if I don't, and damned if I do. I didn't see any way out of this. I was going to have to think long and hard about it before telling Eric anything, I thought.

Even if he wasn't punished by the magistrate, I still didn't want Eric to have to deal with Bill. It was _my _problem. Bill and I had a history. He would listen to me. I could handle it on my own.

I only hoped and prayed that this wouldn't interfere with my adoption of Hunter.

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks so much for all of your comments, I really appreciate them! This chapter will be in Eric's POV. I hope you like it!

**Disclaimer:** Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I do not own anything!

**Rated: **M (some language)

* * *

**Chapter 14**

For the most part, Eric enjoyed seeing King Felipe whenever he came to visit Shreveport for meetings and other related issues that had to do with his Area of Louisiana. They had managed to keep a respectful partnership, and neither one dared to mention the V-word, meaning…_Victor_. That was the past and both men refused to dwell in the past. That was how they had both managed to survive for so many centuries. In the vampire world, their relationship was the closet thing to being what humans called, being _friends_. It was very weird because it rarely happened in the vampire world, especially since Eric owed Felipe fealty. The two of them had a lot in common and both knew how to make money. It was a very profitable relationship.

This was one night when Eric wished that he didn't have a meeting. All during the meeting, he was tense with worry about Sookie. When she had called him, wanting help, he ached to go to her. He knew that he could trust Pam to look out for her, but he was still full of worry. He could feel Sookie's emotions telling him that she was afraid for her life. He kept glancing over at the phone, to see if it would ring. He expected Pam and/or Sookie to call him, to let him know that everything was alright and that Sookie was now home, safe and sound. Unfortunately, his mind-reading abilities that he shared with Sookie didn't reach this far of a distance. He kept glancing at his cell phone that he had in his pocket, drawing it out again and again to take a look at the call display. Had it stopped working? He kept shaking it to make sure that it did. He wasn't going to relax until he heard from either one of them. Once he heard her voice, he would know for sure whether or not Sookie was alright. God help the person or persons, if she wasn't.

He was distracted. He couldn't keep his mind on the topics at hand. They were very important topics too. Ever since he had met Sookie, his mind had been distracted like this, but tonight it was completely different. He was paralyzed in fear. He wasn't sure if it was his own, of if it were Sookie's that he was feeling.

There was something eating away at him in the back of his mind that wouldn't shake loose. He could tell that Sookie was keeping something from him. He could feel her close her mind off from him and it puzzled him. What was she hiding from him? The Sookie he knew, was open and brutally honest at times. It didn't have anything to do with Hunter, he was certain. He knew that she wouldn't have any problems telling him anything if it had something to do with the boy.

No, this was something that he could sense that was scaring Sookie to the bone. She was very fearful. He could feel through their bond that whatever it was, it was beginning to get to her. He never tried to get it out of her because he respected her as a woman and thought that she _did _deserve to have a few private thoughts that she kept to herself, but the fact remained…she was scared shitless about something and she had been for awhile.

Eric had his own opinions as to the reasons why, but he kept them locked up. He didn't want to scare her further. He wanted her to trust him. He wanted her to feel like she could come to him about anything. If she came to him for help, it would mean that she trusted him above anything. He wanted and ached for that to happen, but he knew that she was a very stubborn woman. He would have to bide his time, which was fine with him because he was a patient man. He had waited this long for her to come to realize that she was his--he could do this too. She would come to him soon enough, he was sure of it. He only hoped that it wouldn't be too late.

He thought about what he guessed might be happening with Sookie. It seemed like there was an increasing amount of suspicious activity lately. There was the vampire who had lurked outside of her bedroom window. Someone had sent her flowers. It all led to one conclusion. Was she being stalked? Who would be stupid enough to stalk _his_ woman? Were they looking for a death wish?

"…is that not right, Eric?" Felipe spoke from his chair behind the desk, jarring Eric back to reality. Felipe was the only vampire that he allowed to sit in his chair. He was his king after all. Felipe appreciated the respect that it showed him.

Eric glanced up, thoroughly confused. He looked at Felipe and the other Sheriffs in his office, who were all staring back at him, curiously. It was unusual for him to behave this way.

"Um…yes, it sounds like a good plan," he replied, although he hadn't a clue as to what he was agreeing to. His mind wasn't on it. His mind was consumed with Sookie and whatever it was that she was going through.

Felipe called the meeting to an end. The other Sheriffs left the room, leaving Eric alone in his office with Felipe. Felipe continued to sit behind the desk, staring at him, curiously.

"We are alone," Felipe spoke up, breaking the silence that now permeated Eric's office. "Speak."

Eric knew that Felipe was concerned, not only because he was one of Felipe's Sheriffs, but because they were friends. Eric glanced at him, apologetically. "I am sorry. My mind was not on the meeting," he explained.

Felipe stood up and walked around the desk, then leaned back against his desk. If it had been any other vamp, Eric would've told him where he could lean. It would have been on something sharp and made of wood. But since it was Felipe, he ignored the spurt of anger that suddenly arose.

"What is on your mind?" Felipe asked, curiously. He stared at Eric, levelly, expecting to hear the truth. "You are not acting like your usual self. Would you like me to guess? I think I know. Does it have anything to do with your bonded?" He grinned at him, knowingly. Felipe had lived a long life too. He too had feelings for a woman who gave him a lot of trouble. Eric had met her briefly when they had been in Vegas, but Sookie had not.

"Sookie?" Eric shrugged. "You could say that." He knew that Felipe would eventually get it out of him. Maybe that was just what he needed? Another male to bounce his suspicions off of.

"And how is your bonded?" Felipe grinned, charmingly. "I hope that she has not had any more troubles lately."

"She is…good," Eric hesitated. Maybe Felipe would like to hear about the whole thing. "She and I are planning on adopting. A little boy."

Felipe blinked at him, startled and surprised. "You are?" He asked. "How did all of this come about? You never mentioned anything about this to me before." He frowned, as if he was trying to remember a previous conversation where he and Eric had talked about it, but he couldn't remember.

Eric knew that he wouldn't remember anything because it hadn't happened…yet. This was the first time that he had bothered mentioning it to anyone who didn't owe _him_ fealty. Eric decided to tell all. Felipe listened while Eric explained everything. Eric even told him about his suspicions that Sookie was keeping something from him and his suspicions that she was being stalked.

"Do you know who it might be?" Felipe asked. He had moved from leaning against the desk and now sat in a chair next to Eric.

"I know that she knows that it was a vampire," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "But I know there is something else. I can feel her fear and that scares me. I want to protect her, but how am I supposed to do that if she does not tell me what or who she is afraid of?" Eric asked.

Technically, Eric was older in age, but Felipe had a lot more experience when it came to members of the opposite sex.

"Women," Felipe complained, shaking his head. "No matter how much time has past, they are still the same strange creatures."

"What am I supposed to do?" Eric asked. "I suggested that she should move in with me, but she uses the excuse that she needs to work to earn money for Hunter. I told her that I would provide her with whatever she needs, but she still refuses. What am I doing wrong? I know she is stubborn, that is why I hired her a lawyer behind her back. What should I do?" Eric was at a loss.

"It would help greatly if you found out who might be stalking her. And you do not have to convince me, I know that your bonded is being stalked. The signs are all there," Felipe offered.

"True," Eric agreed, nodding his head. "But knowing Sookie as I do, she will not tell me about it, unless she absolutely has to. I can only hope and pray that it will not be too late."

"Would you like some friendly advice?" Felipe suggested.

"Anything," Eric replied, relieved. That was why he was telling Felipe about any of this. Usually, he was smart enough to figure it out in his own way, but he was at a loss as to how to deal with this.

"First of all, I can not afford to have you distracted like this. You either have to sever your bond or you would have to resign from your position as Sheriff. I know that is the last thing that you would like to hear, but those are your options."

Eric really didn't like those options. "Is there not another way?" He asked, hopefully. "How about if I talk to her and make her see? She will not be able to adopt the boy without my help and finances. I can not leave my position as Sheriff because that would mean that I would be as good as dead. I can not protect her if I am dead. You know that as well as I do. Do you not have any other kind of advice--some that I can _actually_ use?"

Felipe chuckled. "You must love your bonded very much," he replied. "You are not willing to give up either one."

"That's right," Eric replied back, stubbornly. He refused to think of giving up anything that he had fought so hard for and won.

"Okay…let's see…" Felipe mulled over it in his mind. "I suggest that you use any means necessary to ensure that she obeys and that you do not take no for an answer. I am sure that you are up to the task, you have never struck me as the type to sit back and let things happen." He paused once more. "I think I have a perfect solution!" He exclaimed, after a couple of moments of deep thought.

"What?"

"Why not get married?" Felipe suggested. "You love her. She loves you. If her stalker is a vampire, he would be forced to give up because the marriage would be binding. It gives you legal rights."

Eric laughed at this suggestion. "You are suggesting that I…a man who has vowed to remain a bachelor…get _married_?" He thought it was absurd. He couldn't stop laughing.

"Why not?" Felipe asked. "My kingdom would look kindly towards the match, especially considering how she saved my life. We would leave you alone. You can stay on as Sheriff. You would have your bonded. The stalker will leave you alone. Besides, if you are planning on adopting a child, the human courts would look more kindly towards you. What is wrong with that?"

Eric shook his head. Felipe just didn't understand. "You have met Sookie. Do you think that I might be able to convince _her_ that marriage is the only answer?" He laughed, shaking his head. "We had a hard enough time getting to the point where we are _today_. I know that she will only fight me on the matter."

"I thought that you were a man of war?" Felipe pointed out. "You grew up in an age where wars were most common. This war is no different, except it would be for matters of the heart. Those are the best wars, in my opinion." He grinned at Eric.

Eric thought about what Felipe had suggested. Would Sookie go for that idea? He really had no idea.

"Trust me, I would not be surprised if she was keeping things from you, only as a means of protecting _you_. Cheer up, I am sure that you will figure it all out." Felipe looked at his watch on his wrist. "I am sorry. I am afraid that I have to return to Vegas. We have some pressing issues that I have to deal with there."

"As you wish," Eric bowed his head. "Thank you."

"No…what is the human phrase…?" Felipe tried to remember. "…problem?"

Eric laughed. "Yes, I believe that it is what they say," he agreed. He walked Felipe out of his office and saw him out to his waiting limousine. Eric walked back into his office and tried calling Sookie's number. After a few rings, her voicemail picked up. Eric was scared. What if Pam didn't do as he had asked? He tried calling Pam's number too. There was no answer. He left messages at both numbers, and hoped that one or the other would get back to him soon.

He thought about what Felipe had suggested. He wondered if maybe Felipe was right. Eric could see his life with Sookie by his side.

Clancy knocked on his door, interrupting his thoughts. "The fangbangers are here," he informed him. "Would you like me to show them in?"

"Yes," Eric motioned for Clancy to bring them in.

The pair walked into his office, wearing skimpy clothing. They looked like they had bite marks on their necks, testament that there were vampires who used them often. He could tell that they enjoyed being shown into his office. He had seen them in Fangtasia before. He had always avoided them, since he knew what they were ultimately after. He detested fangbangers almost as much as he detested the Weres. They were obnoxious and had no class. They were beneath him.

"Sit," he motioned for the two of them to take a seat in each of the chairs in front of him. He stared down at them, and looked into their eyes. "You will tell me the truth…" he began to glamour them. "What do you know about V being sold in Fangtasia?"

* * *

As soon as Eric was finished with the fangbangers, he told Clancy that he was leaving. He needed to see Sookie in person. He needed to find out the truth. He left a note for Bobby to run a few errands for him in the morning.

He flew instead of drove because it was a lot faster. He landed at her doorstep, surprised to see his child sitting on the porch swing. Pam had a frown on her face. He knew that she was troubled about something.

"What is wrong, my child?" He asked, as he sat down next to her. He could tell that she was hiding something from him. Why were the two women he was closest to, hiding things from him all of a sudden?

"Nothing," Pam replied, evasively.

If Pam was anything, it wasn't evasive. It made him wonder what she was thinking about. As her maker, he could practically read her mind, but she was keeping it closed off from his. He knew all of her feelings, like he knew Sookie's and he could communicate to her without the need of words. Sookie and he had a bond very similar to that of maker and child, except for the fact that Sookie was still not a vampire, much to his chagrin.

"It's a nice night outside," Eric commented in the dark. "I am disappointed. I thought that you would reply back to me. I left you many messages," he gently scolded her.

"I am sorry, Master," Pam replied back, lowering her head in shame. "I know that you were worried, but I figured that you would come here regardless." Pam explained all that had happened earlier in the night with Sookie. "As you can see, I have a lot on my mind." She finished, after she had told her tale.

Eric had never been the type to force words and explanations out of Pam's mouth, unless he had lost all patience. He was the maker that every vampire dreamed of having.

"And what troubles you, my child?" Eric asked, curiously.

"A little of this…a little of that." Pam replied. "You see…I am in a predicament. I know something that you should know about that concerns you, but I can not tell you because I have made a vow."

Eric just stared at her. "And who have you made this vow to?" He asked, curiously.

For the first time since Eric had arrived, Pam chuckled. "I made this vow to your bonded, of course." She replied, as if it were a foregone conclusion. "And if you wanted to…force it out of me, you could." She turned towards him. "But I should warn you that Sookie is the closest thing that I have to being a friend. I am not sure I would like it if I broke this promise to her," she explained.

Eric could understand. He decided to let the matter slide for the moment, while he picked Pam's brain as to her thoughts about marriage. "What would you think if someone you knew, who was a confirmed bachelor, decided to suddenly marry?" He asked curiously. "Hypothetically speaking, of course," he added. He didn't want Pam to know the details until he had spoken to Sookie herself.

"Oh," Pam was startled at the sudden change in subject. "Am I close to this person?" She asked.

"Yes, very close. In fact, you are close to both the bride and groom."

Pam looked at him, suspiciously. "You are not saying that you--"

"I am not saying anything," Eric interrupted. "I am merely trying to get your opinion, that's all."

Pam tried to keep a grin from forming on her face. "Well…it depends. Are the bride and groom in love? Do they have a lot in common?" She asked.

"Yes, I believe they are and they do," Eric nodded his head in agreement. "But here's the rub…the marriage is only being done because it would help to alleviate some other problems in their lives. If it were under normal circumstances, I am not sure it would be happening."

Pam continued to grin. She knew her master well. She could tell that he was trying to get her opinion in his own kind of way, without admitting to anything. It was a good idea. Pam had always liked Sookie. She wondered how Sookie might see it. An even bigger grin appeared on her face now. This would be definitely interesting because Eric had never cared about any other woman long enough to get even half-way serious about that woman. And Sookie was too independent. She may see this as Eric's way of trying to take over her life. Pam was suddenly gleeful at the thought. At least, things would be entertaining and interesting again. They always had been that way since Sookie had entered Eric's life. It was definitely something that Pam would enjoy.

"I would have no problems with a marriage _if_ it were to really happen." She replied, trying to stifle back a laugh. "Tell me, does the bride know about this…indecent proposal yet?" Pam asked, curiously.

"No, she does not." Eric gave her a stern look. "And no one is allowed to let her know until the time comes. That is why I will not mention any names."

Pam had to stifle another laugh. As if she didn't already know who Eric was talking about. She couldn't wait to share this news with Amelia.

"And another thing…no mentioning this to _anyone_," Eric replied, already knowing where Pam's thoughts had taken her. "The less who know about this, the better off things will be."

Pam's grin quickly fled after hearing that. But she didn't care. Was Eric going to actually take the plunge? He had always ridiculed it in the past. He had always vowed that he would always remain a bachelor.

"Getting back to your dilemma." He switched the topic back on to her own problem. He was glad that his bonded and his child were so close. "Does this promise have to do with her stalker?" He asked.

Pam stared at him, surprised. "Oh, so you know." She replied. "She did not tell me that she had told you that she was being stalked."

"She did not have to tell me. I know what has been happening. I know that she is afraid," Eric replied. "I just do not know who," he frowned.

"Sookie thinks she knows," Pam hinted in the dark. "She may be in danger in a way that would surprise you."

"She does?" Eric asked, incredulously. "And who, pray tell, is number one on her list?"

Pam shook her head. "Unless you order me too…"

"I would never think of making you break a vow when you have no close friends," he shook his head. "Do not worry, I will find out who Sookie thinks is stalking her and…make that person pay." He vowed.

"Even if that person is someone that you know and owes you fealty?" she asked, curiously.

Pam had piqued his curiosity. "Who?" He tried asking, just because he was impatient sometimes. "Again, I know that you promised her. I will not let Sookie know that you broke that promise…if you tell me."

Pam shifted around in her seat. She stood up and motioned for him to follow her. "I may not be able to _tell _you…but I can sure as hell _show _you." She started to walk off into the woods, towards the cemetery. Pam had found a solution to her dilemma.

Eric reluctantly followed. He knew that Pam was a smart woman and vampire. He had taught her everything that she knows. He wondered where she was leading him.

They crept through the woods, not minding all the insects that swarmed in the darkness. To any humans, they would have gotten eaten alive by mosquitoes and other insects. She led him through the cemetery, through the woods and out on the other side. Eric began to walk slower. No, it couldn't be, he thought to himself.

Pam stopped just on the edge of the woods that bordered Bill's property. She raised her arm and pointed at Bill's house.

"The person who lives there…may be Sookie's stalker, but you didn't hear it from me." She explained. "I did not actually speak his name, so I did not actually tell you this."

Eric could feel Pam's guilt already beginning to build at breaking her promise to Sookie. "Thank you, Pam." He patted her on the back, reassuring her that she had done a good deed. "Return back to Sookie's house," he ordered. "I have a few things to say to Bill."

The look in his eyes would have told Pam that he meant business, even if she weren't his child. "You are going to confront him right now?" She asked, incredulously. "I will stay with you." She wanted to see what Bill had to say.

"No," Eric shook his head. "This is something that only I can do," he explained. "Besides, I need you to watch over Sookie just in case all of us are wrong."

Pam reluctantly returned back to Sookie's house, leaving Eric alone in the woods on the edge of Bill's property. Eric walked up to Bill's door and knocked on it out of sheer politeness. Every instinct wanted him to barge in the door with a battering ram (if he had one). He could feel his temper rising and tried to wrestle it back. He wondered if Sookie was right about Bill stalking her. He wouldn't get his answers unless he talked to Bill personally, he thought.

Why wasn't Bill opening up the door? Eric growled impatiently. Eric detected a slight movement behind him. He turned towards the sound. Bill stood there, looking rather surprised to see him at his door.

"Good evening, Bill," he greeted him, cheerfully. "I decided to pay you a visit to find out how your investigation is going." Eric tried to keep his expression blank, so that he wouldn't tip Bill off that he was suspicious.

**TBC**


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you so much for all of your comments, I really appreciate them! Sorry, it's been so long since I last updated. I've been busy with real life and also my fansite and forum. It won't be long now until True Blood returns and it looks like there will be lots of Eric and Sookie! Yay! I hope that you like this chapter! Comments are welcome! Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer:** Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris, no monetary compensation is gained.

**Rated:** M

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Bill stood there staring at Eric with a scowl on his face. Eric could tell that Bill was not happy to see him, which was fine with him because he was not happy that Bill may be stalking Sookie either. More to do with southern hospitality than fact that Bill owed Eric fealty, Bill led Eric inside. It angered Eric because he could almost taste the lack of respect that Bill had for him. When had that changed?

"I have not found out as much as I hoped to have at this time," Bill explained to Eric. He sat down at his computer desk, in his office.

Eric took a look around the room. Bill had still not fixed up the house, like he would have done if he'd been the one who owned it. It made Eric suspicious. What did Bill spend all of his time doing? Did his database take up all of that time? Or, was it something more sinister, like stalking Sookie?

"That is fine," Eric replied, graciously, even though it angered him that Bill almost seemed to be incompetent, which he knew was not true. It made Bill look guilty. "Tell me what you have so far," Eric motioned with his hand for Bill to show him the stacks of files on his desk.

Bill reluctantly reached for the top file. He flipped it open. "I have found that you have a lot of enemies," Bill replied.

"Naturally," Eric agreed, grinning wickedly. It had never bothered him in the past how many enemies that he had. He knew that his outlook would have to change now that he had Sookie and once they gained custody of Hunter. But he had to find out who is involved with selling V in his club and punishing those involved for it. It would only bring more problems in the future if he didn't. "Anyone in particular that have access to V or drainers?" He asked.

"Of course, there's a number of them," Bill replied. "I have hit a dead end though. They all refuse to admit to the crime or have alias to support their claims."

"What about the Sookie situation?" Eric asked. He could tell that Bill was startled by the question. The look on his face could only be described as speechless. He could tell that Bill didn't know quite what to say.

"What 'Sookie situation'?" Bill asked, surprised and alarmed.

"You remember…I had asked you to look into the person or persons' who had flowers delivered to her door. I also wanted you to find out more about the vampire that had appeared outside her window," Eric reminded him. "Do not tell me that you forgot…" Eric studied him, shaking his head. "That will not do. If you have not found out anything, I want you to get on it as soon as possible. In fact, stop with the other investigation until we have Sookie's situation under control. I do not want anything to mess with our upcoming wedding." Eric grinned. He knew exactly what kind of reaction that he was going to get after mentioning it. It didn't bother Eric at all, that he was putting the wagon before the horse…so to speak. He only wanted Bill to realize that Sookie was _never _going to be coming back to Bill. Never.

"Wedding?" Bill cried out. "You can not be serious!" He exclaimed, shocked and outraged.

"Well…it is not 'official' yet, but I am thinking about it. I think it would be a great idea." Eric grinned at the thought, gleefully. "I have always had a soft spot for her. I do not see why not." Eric shrugged, as if pretending to think it over.

"Eric, I think you are making a _big_ mistake." Bill replied.

"Really?" Eric pretended to mull that over. "I think it is a great idea, especially since we are adopting a child together. Two parents are better than one, do you agree?" Eric smiled at him, expectantly. "You know Sookie…what do you think that she would like; a diamond solitaire or a cluster of diamonds?"

"I can _not_ _believe_ this is happening…Sookie did not mention any of this to me earlier toni-" Bill quickly realized his blunder.

"What was that Bill?" Eric was quick to catch on to Bill's slip of the tongue. "When did you last see Sookie?" he wondered. Bill remained silent. "Sookie told me that she wants you to stay away from her." He pretended to frown. "I do not understand why she would think that. She knows that I have asked you to _protect_ her. I had to have Pam come to her rescue tonight because I knew that with you being there, it would have only made matters worse." Eric could tell that Bill was buying what he was saying. He was eating it up. "But it was funny…Pam told me that when she got to her car, Sookie was nowhere to be found." He paused and stared at Bill. "I wonder where she went? I wonder who picked her up because her car was still there?" Eric made sure that his tone of voice had the proper amount of speculation. He didn't want Bill to think that he was really suspecting him…not yet. Eric wanted to do things in his own way, in his own time. Eric really enjoyed toying around with Bill, especially if Bill tried to show him any kind of disrespect.

Bill was looking decidedly more and more uncomfortable. It pleased Eric immensely. He decided that Bill had enough to think about now. "I will let you get back to your investigation." With that, Eric walked out of the room and out of Bill's house, leaving Bill sitting in stunned silence behind him.

Eric walked back over to Sookie's. Pam must have gone upstairs to the attic, because she was not on the porch swing nor anywhere else outside. Her car was still parked in the driveway and he could feel that she was still around. Eric entered the house and Sookie's bedroom, where he saw her sleeping form laying in bed. He stripped and laid down on the bed next to her and watched her sleep.

He laid there, in deep thought, while he thought about Felipe's idea. He knew that Sookie was a romantic at heart. She would outright refuse at first, Eric mused. He was surprised by how much he really wanted this. To take this next step. It was something that he had never thought about before. But with Sookie, it seemed natural. She was the only wife that he could picture himself tied to. She was the only woman who had seen beneath his carefully constructed façade. The only woman who he had dared to let see inside his soul. She made him laugh. She was great in bed. She understood him better than anyone else, including Pam. Her talents still managed to amaze him, which was surprising in the amount of time that he had known her. Usually, once he had bedded a woman, he was quick to forget about her. But not with Sookie.

She brought out unusual feelings (for him) that he had never felt before. He felt protective. He wanted to give her everything that she could possibly want or need. He enjoyed just being in her presence. He enjoyed watching the way her eyes lit up, when she thought that something was amusing. Most of all, he loved her. He had never felt that way before. Wasn't that what people in love did? Get married?

The only thing that he had to figure out now was how he was going to do it. He knew that it would be difficult, but he also knew that he would look at it as a challenge as well. Sookie deserved to be wooed. Ergo, he would woo her.

He was only disappointed in himself, that he hadn't thought of this sooner. He had always prided himself on coming up with brilliant plans and ideas. Felipe was very clever. He had been right in the fact that he would have to watch himself around him. It was a good thing that Felipe and he had managed to work out a respectable partnership. But Eric was still cautious.

Eric laid there and watched Sookie sleep, while he planned on how he was going to woo her. This was something that he had never done before. He had always been the one who was pursued, not the other way around. Eric had always loved challenges. He saw obstacles in his path and worked them out in his head, until he had thought of a good way to get from point A to point B. All that mattered, was that the end result was the same. Sookie as his wife. He liked that idea very much.

* * *

"Eric?" I mumbled in my sleep, as I realized that there was someone else laying in bed next to me. I had a slight moment of panic, that it wasn't him and was my stalker. Through our bond, I knew that it could only be him because of the way that I could sense him near me through our bond. I was relieved. "When did you get here?" I asked, curiously. I pushed the rest of my creepy thoughts out of my head.

"Just a little while ago."

I raised my head to look at him. "Did Pam tell you about what happened tonight?" I asked. I had no problems with Pam telling Eric about Bill coming to pick me up and not calling Pam. It was just the fact that I didn't want Eric to know about how Bill had shown up in my bedroom or my suspicions that Bill might be stalking me. I wouldn't know how he would react then.

Eric nodded his head. "I am sorry that I could not come myself. I would have flown you home, in your car, if you wanted me to. But Felipe was there. We had an important meeting to attend to."

I giggled at the image in my mind; me in the driver's seat and Eric holding the car up high above his head and flying us home. Only someone with his strength and powers would be able to do something like that.

"You find that funny?" He asked, looking down at me curiously.

"Yeah…no, forget it." I sat up in bed.

Eric sat up too. We rearranged ourselves until he was my backrest and I was leaning back against him. It reminded me of when he had fed me in Russell Edgington's compound in Jackson, Mississippi after I had been staked. It was hard to believe that it had been so long ago. And look where we were now, I thought to myself.

We laid that way in silence for awhile. I was slowly beginning to wake up. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get back to sleep that night. I ran my hands along Eric's forearms, as they were wrapped around me. His hands rested on my stomach, his favorite resting place. I felt amazingly happy and content. I wasn't sure if they were my own feelings or if they were Eric's too. I felt a jab from behind me and knew that his gracious plenty was happy too.

Eric leaned over and began kissing the side of my neck. I reached around for him. My head tilted, his lips grazed along my jaw until our lips met. He laid me down on the mattress and our desire for each other bloomed. I wanted to sigh. I wished that it could be this way every night.

Soon, my nightgown disappeared. I found myself staring up into Eric's glittering blue eyes. My legs wrapped around his hips, as he slowly entered me. Riding the wave of desire, we both crested at the same time. Something seemed different to me though. I couldn't explain what it was exactly, but it seemed like Eric had tried to make it a lot more special somehow. He seemed to be much more focused on me, than in the past. But none of it made sense in my befuddled, passion-filled mind.

I found myself wrapped in his arms once again, pressed up against his hard, cool naked body. Our legs were tangled around each others'.

"Eric…" I began to tell him about my suspicions. I suddenly realized that I wanted him to know about Bill. If there was one person who would know what to do and how to react, it was Eric. I had to have faith that he wouldn't lose control and make my fears a reality. I had to trust him. I loved him so much.

"Sookie…" he began to talk to me at the same exact time. "You first," he encouraged.

"I have something to tell you…and I'm not sure how well you'll like it." I frowned. This was hard. I wasn't sure how well Eric was going to take it. But I was sick of hiding things from Eric. I enjoyed the fact that we could trust each other with pretty much anything. He had always been the one person who I didn't have to guard myself around. At first, I had been afraid of him, but that soon wore off as I realized that he had a sense of humor, like myself. Plus, the fact, that he had been trying to hit on me constantly. You tended to not be afraid of someone who is constantly making you laugh or roll your eyes.

"I am listening…" Eric replied.

I smiled. "That's one of the things I love most about you. You're always listening to me, even when I don't think that you do." I replied back.

"Go on…what will I not like?" he asked. He squeezed me closer to him. He had no idea how safe his actions made me feel. I felt truly treasured in his arms.

"I think…_I know_…that I'm being stalked," I announced, deciding to take the plunge. "I think that person is someone close. Closer than any of us think." I began to plead with him. "Promise me that you won't do anything rash or destructive until you hear me out," I pleaded. "Promise." I stared into his eyes.

"I promise," Eric replied, frowning.

I could tell that he was puzzled by what I was trying to say and was already trying to guess at who I thought it might be. "And no…it's not a vampire from a different Area." I paused. "It's someone closer than that. Someone who owes you fealty. Someone that may surprise you." I hinted.

"Let me guess…is it Bill?" He asked, curiously.

I was surprised. "How did you…? No, forget it. I tried to hide my thoughts from you. I guess I didn't hide them good enough." I frowned, disappointed that he had read my mind anyways. I had always thought that it would be easy for me to hide my thoughts and feelings because I had been doing it all of my life.

"I did not read your thoughts," Eric denied. "I had my own suspicions too. You see…Bill has been acting strangely. He does not do as I ask, or at least, not as quickly as I want. Bill has always had a soft spot for you. He hates the fact that I have you and he does not. He is hiding something…I can feel it."

"Why aren't you freakin' out about this?" I asked. I could feel that while he was indeed angry, it wasn't what I had expected. "I thought that you would head over to Bill's and punish him right away."

"Believe me, Sookie. I will make sure that he pays," he said, in a threatening tone. "I want to have more proof first, just in case we are both wrong. And I want to handle this _my_ way…not anybody else's."

"Oh." I didn't know what to say. Eric could still surprise me from time to time. I hadn't thought that he would be practical enough to be rational. I could feel that his anger was wanting to break free, but his self-control kept it reigned. He was extremely livid. I had to admire how good his self-control was.

"I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid of how you would react," I explained, grateful that I had been wrong. "I was scared that you would do something crazy and that you would be punished by the Magistrate, like you were with Longshadow."

Eric laughed after hearing that. "That was different…if Bill is doing something wrong, it would be as my right as his superior to punish him, even if you are human. You are my bonded and that changes a lot of things. Bill has no maker, so there is no one to whom I would have to pay a penalty." He explained. "You worried over nothing." He shook his head in disbelief. "Sometimes I forget that you are a human and that your thought processes are like theirs."

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked. Eric's tone had insinuated that it was a bad thing.

"Well…" Eric shrugged.

I could tell that Eric didn't want to get into it with me. I knew that we would disagree on our points of view. It wasn't surprising because I knew that Eric had no respect for humans. He saw them as McPeople for instance. I was only disappointed because it was something that we didn't agree on that was important to our relationship.

"Forget it…you don't have to answer that," I waved it off. "I know that we're just cows or chickens to you. I guess I should be grateful that you see me as something more than the main course of a meal." I sighed. "Anyways…there's more."

Eric waited silently for me to continue. I knew that he could feel by my feelings that what I was going to say, wasn't something that he will like either.

"Bill came here one night. Showed up out of the blue. Right here…in my bedroom." I continued. I closed my eyes, while I waited for his temper, which had suddenly risen sky high to subside. "Don't," I softly tried to comfort him. "Nothing happened. He showed up. I kicked him out. He told me that he only wanted to find out from _me_, if my plans for adopting Hunter were true. At least, that's what he said."

I heard Eric growl deep in his chest.

"Don't," I pleaded with him again. I raised myself up and kissed him on his cool cheek. "I told you…nothing happened, but it did scare me."

"That changes things," Eric growled. His fangs had elongated. His eyes were lit up in anger. "He has no right to show up here in your bedroom. He knows that you are mine. I will have to speak to him about his actions."

Uh-oh, I thought to myself. Maybe I had been wrong to tell him. "Please don't, Eric," I pleaded with him once more. "I was thinking of rescinding his invitation. That would keep him away, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," Eric agreed. I could still feel his anger and rage. "You must rescind it, if only to ease my mind. I will make sure that Pam or Clancy watch over you, if I can not." He tried to reassure me. "Thank you for telling me. I knew that you were scared about something and I wanted to protect you. Now that I know, I can better keep you safe."

I didn't know how to respond to that. I remembered that he had wanted to say something to me too. "What were you going to tell me before?" I asked, changing the subject.

Eric's anger suddenly evaporated. "With your news, I think that mine is not as important now." He paused. "But…I wondered if you would like to go out on a date later on after I wake?"

I blinked. I didn't know what to say. "I hope that it won't be a date like the last time. Fangtasia is a great place, but not exactly a romantic setting." I couldn't keep the sound of disappointment from my voice.

"Yes," Eric nodded his head and agreed. "I am sorry about that. I figured that it would be something that we would enjoy and it was easy for me to plan." He explained. "But tonight will be different…I promise you. I was thinking of dinner and a movie. What do you think?"

"Sure, sounds good to me," I replied. I imagined that Eric would like the same kind of movies that most guys in my experience liked. Shoot 'em up action flicks and horrors. "What time should I be ready?" I asked.

"Seven?" Eric asked. I nodded my head. That would work for me too. "I will pick you up here at seven. Then, we will go out on the town." He grinned.

I could feel that his temper had lessened. I was relieved that our talk about our date tonight had lowered it a little bit. I yawned. I noticed that it was starting to get light outside. Eric would soon have to go into his hole in my spare bedroom.

"You should go back to sleep," he mentioned, concerned for my well-being. "I will leave."

He started to get up off of the bed, but I reached my arm out to hold him there. "No, wait until I'm asleep first. I feel so safe in your arms."

Eric readily agreed. He cuddled me up close to him. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**TBC**


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you so much for all of your comments, I really appreciate them! Sorry, it's been awhile since my last update. This chapter is a long one. I couldn't find a good enough place to end it, but I did leave you a great cliffhanger! LOL Sorry about that in advance...I'll make sure to update soon! Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer: **Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Rated:** M

* * *

**Chapter 16**

I drove into Shreveport early in the afternoon to meet with Mr. Cataliades to go over my court case. It was a cool, but sunny day outside. I had worn a sweatshirt and jeans to travel in because I planned to head over to Eric's house to freshen up and change. I looked at my watch. I had a little bit of time to do so before I went in for my appointment.

Tray Dawson had towed my car to his garage. I had to get all new tires, because I had let the threads get so bare on my tires that it was only a matter of time before I had another flat. It was a good thing that Eric had told Tray that he would pay for it, I thought to myself. Four brand-new tires wasn't something that I could easily afford, especially now with my court case coming up.

It seemed like I was spending Eric's money more and more. I did have a sizeable nest-egg in my savings account because I had finally gotten paid by Queen Sophie-Anne's estate for my duties in Rhodes. But I was saving it for the court case proceedings.

I drove towards Eric's house. I knew the way by memory now, I had been there so often. Sometimes I would run into his housekeeper, Bella and sometimes I wouldn't. She reminded me a lot of my own Gran.

I had my own key that Eric had given me. Which showed how much Eric trusted me with his life. A vampire's resting place was usually kept a big secret to protect them during the day.

I walked into Eric's house from the garage entrance. I heard some singing coming from the kitchen. I smiled as I entered. Bella was singing, _Amazing Grace_, an old hymn from church.

"Good afternoon, Bella," I greeted Eric's housekeeper cheerfully.

"Oh, Sookie!" Bella exclaimed. "You startled me. I thought that I had the whole house to myself," she explained, feeling bashful.

"You have a great voice," I complimented her.

"Oh, goodness me, no," she shook her head. "I've sung in my church's choir for many years now, but I'm not as good as some of those singers on American Idol, I can assure you." She winked at me. "How have you been doing?" She asked.

"I'm good," I smiled at her. "I just came by here to freshen up. I have an appointment with a lawyer in a little while," I explained.

"A lawyer?" She repeated. "I hope it's nothing serious," she softly exclaimed. I could hear her mind whirling around with thoughts about it. _Did I do something illegal? _

"No, I'm just looking into adopting a little boy."

"You are?" She was surprised, I could hear in her mind. "What does Eric think of it?" Obviously, Eric hadn't told his housekeeper about the latest news.

I shrugged. "I think he's getting used to the idea," I hesitated. Eric could do no wrong in Bella's eyes. "At least, I hope so since he found this lawyer for me."

"No wonder I found that book on his desk while I was busy cleaning," she mused, thinking aloud.

"What kind of book?" I asked, curiously. Eric had lots of books, so it wasn't unusual for him to have one laying around. He had a variety of interests. But if it was the kind of book that made Bella notice the subject, it must have been something strange.

"Oh, you know the type…one of those parenting books." She waved it off, as if it weren't that big a deal. It was to me though.

I was surprised. _Eric had been studying on how to be a parent? _It made my heart race, but it was almost funny at the same time. Eric reading a parenting book was _not_ something that I pictured a Viking vampire doing. "Oh," I didn't know what to say. "Well, I'll go up to change and freshen up. I'll talk to you later."

I found my way upstairs to Eric's bedroom. It was a huge room. He had had a closet built in it as big as my bedroom at home, just for all of the clothes that he had purchased for me. I found a couple of outfits. One, was a skirt and blouse. The other, was a dress. I chose the dress.

I made my way back downstairs and noticed that Bobby had arrived. He was carrying a package. He was definitely not one of my favorite people, but we were both in the business of Eric, so we had to act polite around each other.

"Bobby," I greeted him, as I stepped off of the bottom step.

"Oh, hi, Sookie," he looked like he was hiding something from me. He moved the package behind his back so that I couldn't see it.

"Don't worry, I'm going to an appointment," I tried to reassure him that my stay wouldn't be for long. I walked out through the garage entrance again and pushed the garage door button. I climbed into Amelia's car, started it up and backed out of the driveway.

I wondered what Bobby was hiding. I hoped that it wouldn't harm Eric at all.

I drove to Mr. Cataliades offices which were downtown. Finding a good parking spot was a huge nightmare for me. You would think that since people wouldn't have to work on a Sunday, it would be empty. It seemed like the downtown was bustling with activity. I was not used to being in a place where you had to pay to park your car. It was a good thing that I still had some of my money that I had earned in tips.

I was ushered into Mr. Cataliades office as soon as I reached his receptionist. His office was opulent. The walls were painted a beige color, with reds, golds and oranges in the fabrics. All of his furniture was made with a dark brown wood, probably mahogany. They were antiques, I could tell.

"Sookie," he walked around the desk to greet me. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "You are looking amazing on this bright and sunny day."

"As do you too, Mr. Cataliades," I returned the favor.

"Please, have a seat," he motioned for me to take one of the chairs in front of his amazing desk. "I have had my assistants busy working on your case ever since you hired me. I have recently received word that a social worker will be picking Hunter up and will bring him to your house for supervised visitation sometime later on in the week," he explained.

"That soon?" I wondered, surprised. "That is extremely fast."

"Yes, it is," he agreed. "A judge has been appointed to your case. We will be meeting with the judge and the opposition, Remy's cousin and his wife, in a couple of days."

"Um…Mr. Cataliades?" I asked, interrupting him. "I have a question." I hesitated before asking. I hoped that Mr. Cataliades would answer me honestly.

"Go on," he urged, with a wave of his hand.

"How long have you known Eric?" I asked.

"Let me see," he paused. I could tell that I'd surprised him with my question. "A very long time. He's a man to be trusted and yet feared. Why do you ask?"

"No reason really," I shrugged my shoulders. "I was just curious. You seem to know him very well," I commented.

"I do," Mr. Cataliades replied. "I am surprised that he is going through with this adoption, to tell you the truth. I have never pictured Eric as a father figure." He frowned. "It must have to do with you." He gazed at me. "He has always had women do things for him. I don't recall him ever trying to do things for a woman before," he mused. "Until you." He added, smiling.

"Is Eric's name officially listed as a parent for the adoption?" I asked, just to be sure.

"Yes," Mr. Cataliades answered. "He told me that _in no uncertain terms_, he would ever _allow_ another man to be the boy's father if he is in your life. He also told me that since he will live longer than you, that he would be honoured to be his parent long after you're deceased."

I wasn't ready to think about what would happen if I died, but my pulsed raced anyways. Eric was more serious about all of this than I had given him credit for. It made sense now that he was reading up on how to be a parent. It reminded me that I should do the same.

We started to discuss the procedures and what was expected for the adoption. The visitations. The background checks. Had we ever done anything illegal? I could think of a few things, but they were nothing that anybody else knew about (hopefully). Only Eric and myself, as I remembered killing Debbie Pelt. I hoped that there wasn't anything that would affect us. Mr. Cataliades told me that since Eric was a vampire, they would be looking at him closely. Even in this day and age where humans knew about vampires, there were still a lot of common misconceptions about them. Mr. Cataliades told me that he would talk to Eric himself about what to expect from those visits.

Basically, it was all a bunch of hog-wash if you asked me. If two people wanted to share their life with a child who needed a parent or guardian, it shouldn't be that difficult to get done. But I understood that too. There were so many bad parents out there. There were papers on top of papers that I had to sign. Mr. Cataliades would see to it that Eric signed them too. It was a good thing that Mr. Cataliades was familiar with both of us, I thought.

After our meeting was over, I drove back to Eric's to change before heading back home to Bon Temps. Bobby was in Eric's office when I arrived, but I ignored him. I was sure that Mr. Cataliades would talk to him if he needed anything.

"Sookie!" I heard Bobby call from the office as I walked by.

I backed up and peered into the room. Bobby was sitting at Eric's desk, with papers strewn all over the place.

"Is it true?" He asked, curiously.

"Is what true?" I asked, curiously. I studied him, trying to read in his mind what it was that he was talking about. I didn't normally put my talents to use on purpose. But since it was Bobby, I didn't really care.

_Eric had sent Bobby out to buy me a ring? _I exclaimed in my mind, after reading his. I stared at him, incredulously, wondering what the _H-E-double hockey sticks _he was thinking about. I didn't want it to appear as if I knew about the ring. I was stunned speechless anyways. My palms were sweating and my heart raced. Was Eric going to propose to me? I couldn't seem to get past that fact.

"Good…it's not too late," Bobby breathed a sigh of relief. "But you should know that Eric…he really isn't the settling kind. He's too Alpha male. I knew it as soon as we met, you would try to change him and make him do things that he wouldn't normally do. I'm going to say this just once…if you answer 'yes' to him, then I will make sure that it doesn't last," he threatened.

I was more angered that he had the nerve to threaten me than anything else. While I was still shocked that Eric had plans that I hadn't foreseen…_Eric had bought me an engagement ring! _I was more irate that Bobby seemed to think that he could tell me what to do.

"Go ahead…make my day," I replied back, quoting the famous line from the Clint Eastwood movies. "We'll see what happens." I was confident that if Eric had to choose between me and Bobby, that I would win.

I rushed away from Bobby before I could say anything more. I was royally mad. How dare he?

I went upstairs and my clothes back on to wear back home. I brought my dress that I had worn downstairs for me to give to Bella so that she could wash it. I handed it to her, thanking her for washing it for me.

"Don't be silly," she admonished. "It's a part of my job. You run along now. Mr. Eric will be waking up soon and you will want to be home for that."

"You're right," I agreed. I turned to leave, but Bella called me back.

"I almost forgot!" She exclaimed. "Here's some baking that I wanted to send home with you. I baked them while you were at your appointment. I figured that you would like to share them with your roommate." She handed me a container that held something that smelled incredibly good.

"Thank you very much, Bella," I replied. I hugged her gratefully. She was an excellent baker I thought.

I turned around and left the same way that I had come in. I didn't bother saying goodbye to Bobby though. Did that surprise you? My anger _still_ hadn't evaporated. I didn't think that I'd mention anything to Eric though, not unless I needed to.

I drove home and made it home just in time for dusk. I knew that Eric would be waiting for me. I couldn't wait to see him. I grinned in anticipation. My heart raced. I was terribly excited.

I entered my house and expected Eric to greet me at the door. Instead, I heard voices coming from the kitchen.

"You better not hurt Sookie or you will regret it," I heard Amelia say.

"I would never hurt her," Eric replied back. "I love her."

You have no idea how much I loved hearing that, although a part of me wondered if he had said it because he would be able to sense that I was home. I entered the room, and looked from one to the other. They looked like they were in the middle of some sort of mortal combat. "Hi, y'all…am I interrupting somethin'?"

Argument forgotten, Eric turned around and smiled at me. He came over to take me in his arms and gave me a kiss that melted my bones. "Hello, my lover," he greeted me. He stared down at me, happily. "How did your appointment go with Mr. Cataliades?" He asked.

I looked beyond Eric to Amelia. "If you would please give us a moment…"

"Sure…leave me out of the loop," she complained, before she stomped out of the room.

I waited until Amelia had disappeared. "Mr. Cataliades told me that we have an appointment this week and that Hunter will be coming to visit as part of our supervised visitations."

"I will have to rearrange my schedule," Eric replied, making plans of his own. "Are these appointments during the day or will I be able to be there?" he asked.

"Mr. Cataliades told me that he would get back to me on it. He wasn't sure either." I explained. I glanced up at him, to where Amelia had disappeared up the stairway, then back again. "What was that about?"

"What was _what_ about?" He replied back, as he lowered his head and started to nibble on my neck. Eric couldn't seem to get enough of my neck for some reason. If I were busy talking, he would lick my neck as a way to keep in close contact.

"You know, what were you and Amelia arguing about?" I questioned, curious to see what I had missed out on. "If it's to do with me and you, or adopting Hunter…tell me. I can take it." I braced myself for the worst.

"What makes you think that you walked in on an argument?" He asked back. He raised his head and stared down at me. "Amelia and I were discussing what was going to happen once we have Hunter, that is all." He shrugged. "She got concerned that we would be playing house, without the benefits of a real marriage. She was only concerned about me using you."

"Oh," I didn't know how to respond to that.

"I was trying to reassure her that I am in it for as long as you will have me. That if anybody would be doing the _using_ it would be _you_, and _not_ me." He explained. "Does it bother you…what we were discussing?" He asked, full of concern.

"Yes, I thought that you and she were arguing about the fact that she isn't crazy over the fact that we're together. I think she wants what we have and that she feels like you're taking over my life. That I won't be her friend anymore." I grew sad at the thought. "I guess I'll have to tell her that I'll still be around." I sighed.

"Sorry that it makes you feel sad," Eric replied. "Would you like me to cheer you up?" I nodded my head. "Go, get ready and meet me back here in an hour," he winked at me. "I have a few surprises that I hope that you will like."

At the tip of my tongue, I wanted to ask him if it was true that he had sent Bobby out to buy me an engagement ring, but I kept my silence. I could tell that Eric really wanted to surprise me. It was only due to my telepathy, that I knew what his plans were. Would he propose tonight? I hoped so.

My heart raced in anticipation and also because…well, he _had _to give me a kiss before I started to get ready. It involved some tongue. I knew that it was only a prelude to what would happen later on that night. I backed away from him, although it was extremely hard. And something else was hard…if you get my drift. He gave me a pat on my ass as I walked away from him.

I got showered, dressed and ready. I couldn't wait to see what he would do for an actual date. All glammed up, I headed out to meet him. He stood there in his usual jeans, but wore a shirt and tie. He slipped his leather jacket on as I came out. He sensed me standing there and turned around to greet me. His eyes took me in from head to toe. He licked his lips in anticipation. I knew that I looked good. I had chosen a skirt and blouse. I briefly wondered if going out on a date was such a great idea. I was ready to jump his bones right at that moment.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

In my mind, I answered, _I was ready as soon as you kissed me_. Aloud, I said, "I'm ready."

Eric grinned, because of course, he had read my mind. He winked at me, before ushering me out the door. "Let us save that for dessert."

We walked out to his car, which was sitting in my driveway. He must have flown home and got it. I distinctly remembered seeing it in his garage. Had I taken that long getting ready? I thought that I had been rather fast.

I climbed in and he started up the engine. I reached out to turn the heater on. The temperature had dropped outside, and it wouldn't matter to Eric. He usually let me play around with the buttons in his car. He smiled at me now.

"Happy?" He asked, as we drove out of my driveway and onto the road towards Bon Temps.

I knew that he knew that I was. I nodded my head anyways. "Yes," I answered, practically giggling in excitement. I couldn't remember the last time that I had gone out on an actual date. Had it been with Bill? With Quinn? Either way, it had been way too long I figured.

We ate at a crawfish place. Correction, _I_ ate. Eric watched me eat. He drank a bottle of Tru-Blood. The food was good. The atmosphere in the restaurant was lively and entertaining. Families sat at tables. Parents were trying to get their kids to finish eating before having a taste of their desserts.

Eric and I sat out on the patio, at a table in the corner. While the atmosphere was loud, we were lost in our own little world. Eric had that way about him. When he stared into my eyes, I didn't want to look anywhere else.

He reached across the table and held my hand in his. Was this when he was planning on asking me? I wondered.

"Sookie, have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He asked, charmingly. His grin turned wicked. "That scent that you are wearing, makes me want to rip that outfit off you and fuck you on this table right now."

I swallowed the mouthful of gin and tonic that I had been drinking at the exact same time that he had spoken. I could see us vividly in my mind. "With all of these people around?" I asked, incredulously.

"Yes," he nodded his head. "It would be even hotter. Can you see us, lover?"

Hell yeah, I thought to myself. I could barely keep myself from jumping on his lap and letting him take me right then and there. "Yes," I whispered.

"I can see us with Hunter too," he threw the comment out there. He glanced away from me and watched the children at the nearest table for a few minutes. "Yes," he answered an unspoken question in his mind. "They are curiously strange humans beings." He added after a few minutes of watching them. "They do not like real food but like sweets. They like to play around and poke each other with forks. How do those parents put up with all of that crying?" He asked, curiously, staring at the parents of the children in question.

I had to stifle a grin. "They deal with it the best way that they can," I answered. "But Hunter is different. He's really a well-behaved little boy."

We sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. "Sookie, it has been a very long time since I have courted anyone. What do we do?" He asked, curiously. "What do couples do on dates in this day and age?"

I smiled at him. "We talk. Get to know each other. Find out what we like and dislike," I answered.

"Men and women find _that _sexy?" he asked, incredulously.

"Well…some people like to get to know each other better first before they get horizontal."

"Horizontal?" Eric repeated, puzzled and confused.

"It's a slang term for sex," I explained, trying to keep my smile from getting wider. Eric wouldn't appreciate it if I laughed in front of him, but sometimes he was surprisingly clueless about things. It was almost comical. A thousand year old vampire, who didn't know what some things meant. I suddenly thought of a great idea of what I would buy him for Christmas. A book of slang words or something like that.

"I like sex," Eric grinned proudly.

Now, I laughed. "I know you do. You're very good at it too," I praised him.

It stroked his ego. He sat there with a proud expression on his face. "I would be happy to spend our dates in bed," he told me. "But Pam and Amelia advised me not to. They told me that a woman likes to be taken places and do fun things."

I made a note to thank the two of them for giving Eric dating advice. "Yes, we do. Once a woman finds a man that she marries, they no longer go out on dates very much."

"Why is that?"

"Because usually they have children and they make your life busier and harder to find some time to do things like that."

Eric frowned, while he mulled it over. "Then, why do people get married?" He asked, puzzled and confused. "It sounds like it takes all the fun out of it."

_Here, we go, _I thought to myself. Was he slowly building his way up to it? "If a couple loves each other. They want to make a commitment to one another. They want to vow to each other that they will be with that one person until they died," I explained. "Have you _really_ never thought about marriage before?"

"Yes." He frowned. "But if it were something that my lover really wanted to do, then maybe I would rethink it. Come, we will be late for the movie if we do not leave now."

My heart fluttered after hearing his words. I was the only person to whom he referred to as his _lover_. Although, I was disappointed that he hadn't asked me and that we were going to a movie instead. I never realized until right this minute, how much I _wanted _to get married to Eric, but a part of me had always held back because I wasn't sure if I was woman enough to hold on to him.

He took some money out of his billfold and left it on the table. He took my hand and we walked out of the restaurant. I could feel people staring at us curiously. I could read it in their minds that they knew that Eric was a vampire. Some of them thought that we looked perfect together. Others, thought that we should both stay with our own kind. I tried to push those unpleasant thoughts out of my head.

Now I knew what interracial couples had to go through. This was similar to that. It bothered me, but I tried not to let it show. I was happy with Eric. Could they say the same? No. I could hear it in some of their minds that they were not happy with their significant other, even though they were both of the same race.

We drove to the only theater in Bon Temps. Since it was a Sunday, it wasn't normally all that busy, but the movie that was playing brought the people out in droves. Mostly teenagers, judging from the looks of them. I felt suddenly older than my twenty-seven years. I glanced up at Eric to see his reaction.

"What is this 'Twilight'?" Eric asked, curiously, after we had waited in line and purchased our tickets.

"It's a movie about vampires," I replied back. "It's based on a popular book series," I explained.

"Vampires?" Eric asked. "I hope you did not choose this movie because I am one." He admonished.

"No, not at all. It's the only movie playing right now. We have to see it, unless you want to rent one from Blockbuster." I suggested.

"No, this is good. I do not mind watching movies about my species." He agreed.

We waited in line for popcorn and eventually found some seats. Although, the place was crowded, we were lucky enough to find two seats that were in the back row.

"This is the perfect setting to make out," Eric whispered in my ear.

I grinned. "That's why movies are the perfect date. You get entertained and make out in the dark." I replied back in his ear.

He put his arm around me and the movie started. I munched on popcorn and drank my pop that I had purchased. Although, I don't know why I had bothered doing that when I had just eaten. I was already full. But one of the traditions of going to a movie theater was that you ate popcorn during the movie.

All during the movie the girls in the audience would scream whenever Edward appeared onscreen. Eric would jump in his seat whenever this happened.

"Why are they screaming?" He asked me the first time. "He is not as scary of some of the vampires that I have met." He frowned.

I grinned, thankful that it was dark. "They are screaming because they think he's handsome," I tried to explain.

When it was revealed in the movie that the vampires could go out in daylight. That they tended to _sparkle_ instead of burn in the sun…that was when Eric started laughing. Every other little myth about vampires in the movie made him laugh even harder. Some of the teenagers sitting closest to us, would turn around and glare at him for interrupting the movie. When it was revealed that their blood contained venom, that made Eric laugh as well.

He whispered in my ear. "That is not true…my blood would not cause you pain. You have had mine. You know that it tastes good. The pain comes when you are a newborn vampire who is starving for food," he instructed me.

Soon, it was over and we left the theater. Eric had parked a block down the street and on the other side because there had been so many people there.

"Excuse me, but are you a _real_ vampire?" A teenager stopped Eric curiously.

"Yes."

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" The girl squealed. She called her friends over and began telling them that Eric was a real vampire excitedly. They all began peppering Eric with questions endlessly.

I had found it amusing, but at the same time, I was bored. I figured that I would go and sit on the hood of Eric's car until the teenagers were done with him. I started to walk across the road and stopped unknowingly in the middle of the lane. I turned around to check to make sure that Eric was still charming the teenagers. I grinned, then turned back again. That was when I noticed the pair of headlights fast approaching me.

It seemed like the driver didn't see me, in fact, the car seemed to speed up. I stared at the headlights, with a deer caught in the headlights expression on my face. I heard someone call out my name. Had it been Eric? That's when I felt something hard push me out of the way and tackled me down to the ground.

**TBC**


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note**: Thank you all so much for all of your wonderful comments, I really appreciate them! Thanks so much for reading my story! I know that I promised that my update would be up faster because of the cliffhanger in the last chapter, but RL interfered with my plans. I apologize for taking so long and hopefully it won't happen again!

**Disclaimer**: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm only borrowing them for my own twisted pleasure. No monetary compensation is gained.

**Rated**: MA (This chapter has lemony goodness in it! Enjoy!)

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**Chapter 17**

I started to walk across the street and stopped unknowingly in the middle of the lane. I turned around to see if Eric was still charming the teenagers or if he was following along behind me. I grinned when I noticed that he was still surrounded by the teenagers, turning on the charm, but I knew that he wasn't all that happy about having to do it. I turned back around again. That was when I noticed a pair of headlights fast approaching me.

It seemed like the driver didn't see me, in fact, the car seemed to speed up. I stared at the headlights with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression on my face. I heard someone call out my name. Had it been Eric? That's when I felt something hard push me out of the way and tackled me down to the ground. Whatever had pushed me, laid down on me like a dead weight. The car sped by right after it happened. It had been a close call.

I realized that was Eric laying on top of me and that he had saved my life once again. I started to thank him for saving me, when I realized that I must have banged my head against the pavement because I lost consciousness. Everything went black.

Eric checked Sookie's vital signs and for broken bones. He tried to get a description of the vehicle that had tried to run her over, but it had already driven too far away to tell. Eric was very angry. It had been an obvious attempt at her life.

One of the teenagers that had asked him questions earlier came rushing over to them. "Oh my God!" She cried. "Is she still alive?" She asked, alarmed and full of concern.

"Yes," Eric replied. He took off his jacket and placed it under Sookie's head. He was dismayed to find blood on his fingers. It was her blood, which scared him more than he would ever admit. "Do you have something that I can cover her with?" He asked the teenager impatiently, who was still carrying on with her, 'oh my God', rambling. "Stop it." He commanded, glammouring her. The teenager quickly settled down. She handed him her jacket, which he placed over top of Sookie. "Hold her still while I check for broken bones," he instructed.

As Eric thoroughly checked for broken bones, one of the teenager's friends came over. "I called 9-1-1, they are sending an ambulance now," she said.

"She will not need an ambulance. I am going to give her some of my blood," Eric explained, as he looked up at her. He rolled up his sleeve, preparing to rip open a vein. "This is not something that you should see if you are squeamish," he cautioned. "Stay back."

Both girls backed away from Eric and Sookie, while he bit into his wrist and held it up and over her mouth. After a few moments, Sookie came to enough to start drinking on her own. She reached up and held Eric's arm close to her mouth and began to suck like a baby. This was the first time that Eric had not felt aroused while she drank from him. He was too consumed with worry over her. He knew that his blood would be the best fix for Sookie.

He checked underneath her head for more blood. The bleeding had already stopped. Sookie's color was beginning to return. Eric wanted to breathe in a sigh of relief, but he couldn't…he didn't breathe.

I slowly came to and realized that I was drinking Eric's blood. I stopped. "What…happened?" I asked, as I stared up at Eric, curiously.

"You were almost road kill," one of the teenagers spoke up cheerfully. "But this vampire saved you. Oh my God…you should have seen him! He moved so fast…one moment he was talking to us and the next…he was laying down on top of you. I have never seen anything like it before in my life," she exclaimed.

I looked from the teenager to Eric with a slight grin on my face. "I see that you have a new fan…" I commented, making a joke. Why am I always able to say the best jokes when I was injured?

Eric waved it off as if it wasn't important. "How are you feeling?" He asked me, still extremely concerned. I sensed his fear of losing me and how scared he'd been while I was unconscious. Then it hit me (not the car) but how important I was to him. I could feel his incredible relief at my recovery. The proof was in the gentleness at how he handled me, like I was going to break at any moment.

I touched my head, which was still sore, but it was gradually diminishing. I could taste the metallic taste of Eric's blood on my lips and in my mouth. "Better…thanks to you." I told him, gratefully. I wanted to reassure him that I was alright.

"Can you get up?" Eric wondered.

I could feel that he was still worried about me. I could feel his rage at the driver who had done this. "I think so," I replied. I tried to sit up while Eric helped me. Feeling wobbly, I was finally standing. Eric supported me and walked me around to the passenger side of his car. He helped me sit down in the seat and buckled my seatbelt.

"Does this mean that our date's over?" I asked, looking up at him, sounding disappointed.

"This part is. I am taking you home to bed," he replied, before closing the car door. Eric walked around the car to get into the driver's seat but his teenaged fans decided at that moment to come over and tell him how amazing he had been.

I knew this since I could hear them through the rolled up windows. They were not quiet at all. I didn't need to read their minds to know what they were thinking. They were staring at Eric like he was some sort of movie star. Eric looked uncomfortable, I thought. He moved away from them while they were still talking and praising him. He climbed into the car and closed the door on them.

I could see their disappointed faces through the window.

"You know, that is pretty rude of you to not say anything back to them. They're you're biggest fans," I teased.

"I am not in the mood to be thanked," he growled. He stared at me with his fangs elongated. I could feel how tense and angry he was.

He started up the engine and we started to drive towards my home. The ambulance got there just after we had pulled away. "Who called the ambulance?" I asked.

"Those…_girls_," Eric replied, grimacing at the memory of having to deal with them. "Tell me, were you ever like those girls?" He wondered. "They talked incessantly. They would not stop," he complained.

"No," I shook my head. I tried to keep my smile from showing on my face, but it was difficult to do. Eric hated being considered a hero, I thought to myself.

"Good," he replied, satisfied with my answer.

We drove to my house. Eric helped me inside. Amelia wasn't at home, so we had the house to ourselves. Eric helped me into bed. I was disappointed that it wasn't more of a romantic setting, but since I had just been almost killed, I couldn't complain.

"Would you like a drink of water or anything?" Eric offered. He sat on the bed next to me.

I nodded my head. He went into my bathroom, poured me a glass of water and handed it to me. I took a few sips, trying to get the dryness out of my mouth. Eric sat down next to me again, but then stood up and started to pace. I was starting to get dizzy from watching him, so I looked away.

"That car headed straight for you!" Eric exploded, suddenly full of fury. He was very angry and outraged. "I could not get a look at the make and model of the car because I was more concerned about _you_," he ranted angrily. "Whomever it was…tried to _kill_ you!" He yelled.

My head still pounded. I reached up to massage my temple. "Please, don't shout. I'm sitting right here." I tried to scold.

"Sorry," Eric replied. He quickly realized that the way he was acting was not good for me. "I am just…extremely…I do not know how to describe it, but I want revenge. I want to know who was driving that car."

"So do I," I replied, softly. "But we're not going to find out tonight. Come here. Sit next to me. I want to cuddle." I patted the side of the bed next to me. "I want to celebrate the fact that I'm still alive." I tried to coax him. "Thanks to you." I stared up at him, with a beseeching look on my face.

His anger deflated like a balloon. "Okay," Eric took off his shoes and climbed on the bed next to me. "I was scared when you were unconscious…I was so scared. I have never been scared like that before in my life. Not even in all of the fights that I have faced. Some were gruesome beyond belief, but I think I would much rather do that, then have to go through what happened tonight again." I could feel him shudder. "I will find out who did this and I will make sure that they pay. They will _not _get away with this." He vowed to both himself and to me.

I knew that he would too. I knew that as soon as I fell asleep, he would get his best people on it.

"Do you think that it was Bill?" I asked, curiously. "Because Bill doesn't drive a car like that." I shook my head, still confused by what had happened. I did have a clear image in my mind of those headlights. I could probably spot them anywhere now.

"How would you know what kind of car it was?" Eric asked, curiously. "You did not see it."

"I saw the headlights," I shrugged. "If I knew what kind of car had that kind of headlights, I might be able to know what kind of car it was."

"Not tonight you won't," he replied, still concerned for my well-being. "You are going to stay in this bed, even if I have to tie you down."

I suddenly had very kinky thoughts and memories of being tied up. It had been while I had been kidnapped. We had been locked down in a basement together. "Tied up, you say?" I echoed, teasingly. "Do you remember when we tried that before?"

Eric immediately remembered what I was talking about. "Yes, like that…maybe I will make it worth your while," he winked naughtily at me. "But only if you are a good girl. Bad girls get something else entirely."

I laughed. My heart suddenly pounded in anticipation. "What do bad girls get? I can be bad too," I teased.

Eric groaned. "I do not understand how you can be wanting sex after you have been almost run over by a car," he shook his head in confusion.

"Maybe I want to reaffirm that I'm still alive?" I pointed out. "Maybe I want to thank the man who rescued me in a way that I know that he will like?" I suggested, naughtily. I reached over towards him and ran my hand up and down his muscular arm. "Would you dare to turn me down after what I've been through?" I gave him a pout to show him that I would be disappointed if he did refuse me.

Eric laughed. "No," he shook his head. His eyes glittered down at me. "Do I look crazy? I know an offer that I can not refuse," he winked.

He leaned over and began kissing me. His hands moved over my body, stroking and caressing. He undid the buttons on my blouse and opened it up so that he could see my bra. I shivered when his cool hand touched my bare skin. I felt my skin burn wherever he touched. It seemed like my clothes evaporated with the use of his skilled hands.

"This has to come off too," I told him, trying to get his shirt off. My fingers itched to touch his bare skin. He immediately obliged and removed his shirt. I explored his hard, cool skin.

Thank God my skirt was flirty and loose. He bunched it up over my hips, as he hand went right towards my panties. His finger slipped inside, right to my moist center. His thumb and forefinger stroked me.

He stopped what he was doing to me, long enough to take his jeans off. He rolled back towards me and started to suck on my nipple. He took it into his mouth, bit into it slightly, then began to suck. He cupped my other breast with his other hand, gently kneading. All of a sudden, it seemed like Eric had six hands.

I felt his hand leave my breast and slowly inch it's way down my body until he reached my moist center once again. I sighed. He mouth left my breast and the next thing I knew, his mouth was touching me there. My hips jerked up off the mattress, as his tongue licked my clit. I clutched at the bedding on my bed. He held me there, immobilized.

He poised himself above me with my thighs spread wide. He swiftly entered me. I took him in deeply. I enjoyed not knowing where he ended and I began. He began moving inside of me. He laid down on top of me, but I didn't find him heavy. He kissed me once again. Our mouths did a mating dance, just like our bodies were doing. His hands were busy too. I explored his body, until my nails began clawing at his back.

I took him deeper and deeper, until I began panting and was out of breath. I could feel myself getting closer and closer, until finally I came. I found that I couldn't hold it off any longer. He continued to stroke me from the inside…milking himself with my juices…until I came again and again. (Never let it be said that a man can't give you multiple orgasms. You just need to find the right man.) After I had three or four orgasms (I had lost count) Eric must have decided that I'd had enough. He came, then withdrew himself from me.

We laid there together in my bed, our arms and limbs tangled up with each others'.

"I am glad that I was there," he told me softly, in my ear. "If I had not been…" I could feel him shudder.

"Shush," I told him, trying to comfort him like he always tried to comfort me. "I'm glad too," I said, relieved beyond anything that you could imagine. "It's over now. I'm still alive. I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes, you are." Eric lifted his head to stare down at me. "You are going to pack your things and you are going to come live with me," he insisted.

"No," I replied, stubbornly. "I will _not_." I could tell that Eric didn't understand. "I will not let this stalker psycho dictate _my_ life. I will _not _let him win. I _can't_…" I broke off as tears sprang to my eyes.

"Ah, Sookie," he moaned. "Do not cry. Please don't," he begged. He tried to comfort me. "I know why you will not move. It is because you feel powerless. But I will not let you feel that way. You are strong. You have the power to keep yourself safe from the stalker. That power is in your decision. If you decided to move in with me, you would have all the power in the world." He leaned over and kissed me. "I will not let him get to you. I promise."

I was frustrated and confused. Why didn't he understand that this is _my_ home? My life? It was mine to do with as I wished. I didn't have to answer to him, I thought, stubbornly. What right did he have?

Eric read my thoughts, I could tell. He was looking at me with empathy in his eyes. "I will talk to Sam for you. I will make sure that anything that needs to be done, gets done. Okay?" He tried to reassure me.

"What about Hunter?" I asked him, curiously. "He's coming to visit in a number of days," I reminded him.

"We can have our visitations at my house. It does not matter where we are, as long as we are together. Do you agree?"

"I guess…" I wasn't very happy. I had been raised to not move in with a man before marriage. No matter how much I loved him. "I'm going to be the talk of Bon Temps…_again_," I complained, sarcastically. "I am living with a man before marriage. _What kind of girl is that Sookie? Didn't her Gran raise her right? _I can hear them already," I mimicked the Bon Temps gossips.

Eric stared down at me and grinned. "If it would make you more comfortable…we could get married first," he suggested.

The bottom fell out of my stomach. Had Eric really just said what I thought he'd said? Talk about the wrong time to propose to me, I thought to myself. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. If he had done it earlier in the night, I might have agreed. "That isn't what I'm after," I told him, angrily, wanting him to understand. "Sure, we went out on a date but it was only _one _date. Most couples take more than one date to decide whether or not they want to get married." I pointed out.

"Is there a rule that states that there has to be a certain number of dates that a couple needs to have before the man proposes?" Eric frowned. I knew that he was surprised. He had never heard of a rule like that before.

I almost had to laugh at his expression. He now looked like he was the one who had the deer-caught-in-the-headlights kind of expression. It almost made me forgive him for the disappointing way that he had proposed to me. Can you blame me? He was taking advantage of a situation where I was in need of help. Who does that?

I heard a little voice inside me say; _what difference does it make how he proposes, Sookie? You love him. You know he truly loves you. He is the only man you have ever wanted to marry and seen as the father of your children. He's the only one who appreciates you for who and what you are. He doesn't try to change you. He has saved your life numerous times. He's willing to pay for a lawyer. He's willing to adopt Hunter with you. What more could you ask for? _

I had to admit, the voice had a point. What my inner voice didn't mention, was that I was scared. I was scared that I wouldn't be enough for Eric in the long run. I was scared that he would end up leaving me, just like all of the rest. I shook those depressing thoughts out of my head.

"No, but a woman expects a man to get down on one knee when he proposes." I told him. "A man and woman should get to know as much about each other before they decide to get married," I explained.

"You don't feel like you know me?" Eric asked, surprised. "I have _not_ nor will I _ever_ go down on my knee for any man…or woman," Eric refused, stubbornly shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant." I explained, trying to appease him. "I do know you. But you are proposing to share your life with someone. To vow to them that they will always have you to care for them. Begging them, if you will," I explained. "That's all I'm sayin'." I paused. "Um…Was that, um…really a proposal?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Do you want it to be?" Eric countered.

I wanted to groan in frustration. Sometimes I wanted to throw up my hands and shout out, _MEN! _They can be so frustrating at times. Grrr…

"No," I retorted. "I want my proposal to be special. Something that will make me remember it for a really long time," I replied.

I could tell that I had given Eric something to think about. That was good, I thought.

"You are still moving in with me, marriage or not," Eric replied back, stubbornly. "I can not propose to you in a way that you will remember as being _special_, if you are not alive. No excuses," he could tell that an objection was on the tip of my tongue. "I do not care if I have to drag you out of the house by your toes."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure you will," I had the nerve to say.

That was how I ended up being carried out to Eric's red Corvette, tossed over his shoulder, like a caveman.

**TBC**


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note**: Thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments! I'm glad that you're enjoying my story! I'm kind of disappointed by how they're writing Eric and Sookie on True Blood. It's nice to come on here and read stories about them that are more to the real thing, IMO. I hope you like this chapter! Comments are more than welcome! Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer: **Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris, no monetary compensation is gained. Used for entertainment purposes only.

**Rated**: MA (some lemmons in this chapter) Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 18**

I was so angry and frustrated that I wanted to scream. How dare he? Eric had abducted me without my say-so. He had carried me, unceremoniously, out to his car and dumped me into the front seat. When I had tried to open the door to get out, he had only flipped the locks on the control panel. Of course, I tried to unlock my door from my side, but he out-manoeuvred me by putting the car into gear and backing out of my driveway. I wasn't stupid enough to jump out of a moving vehicle. I had more self-preservation and survival skills than that.

I sat in the front seat and stared out the window, with my arms crossed stubbornly in front of me, steaming. I needed to work out a plan to get away from him as soon as we reached Shreveport, I thought. The only problem was that Eric was smart. Everything that I had thrown at him so far he knew ahead of time. That was okay, I thought, I would only have to be smarter.

"Stop pouting," Eric spoke from his side of the car. "And you know that it is impossible for you to give me the silent treatment. I can hear your thoughts, remember?" he reminded me.

Right. I had forgotten about that. I stubbornly remained silent. Instead, I thought of all of the things that I resented him for. It was strange…I couldn't think of anything really.

I wanted him to know that he couldn't get away with manhandling me. "You are barbaric," I complained. "Didn't your mother teach you better?"

Eric didn't say anything, but he laughed. I glared over at him from the passenger side of the vehicle.

After a few minutes of driving, I began to see what he was laughing about. It did seem funny now, the way that he had tossed me over his shoulder and made off with me like I was a giant sack of potatoes. My anger was beginning to subside. I also began to see that he was only doing what he had always done, which was to look out for me and to protect me. My anger evaporated.

Maybe a stay in Shreveport might be better for me? I thought to myself. Who better to protect me from a stalker than Eric the Viking vampire? Suddenly, I couldn't remember why I had been so against staying at his house. He owned a very nice home in a nice and safe neighborhood. His housekeeper was a sweet lady, who made scrumptious desserts. It was the kind of setting that social services would look at and see that it would be a safe and warm environment for Hunter. The only dark side to the situation was the fact that Bobby hated my guts. I realized that I had to tell Eric about Bobby's harsh words to me. We couldn't have Bobby messing with the adoption proceedings.

"Um…"I began hesitantly. "Eric?" I asked curiously.

"She speaks!" He turned towards me, grinning arrogantly. "I can see that you are now over your anger at my kidnapping you. Does this mean that you are speaking to me again?" He asked with a grin on his face.

"You were right," I sighed. "I guess I've been acting immature and stupid. I know that you're only looking out for me and you can't do that when you have businesses to run. I'm sorry for being so stubborn. I'm acting like I'm someone who is Hunter's age. I feel ashamed and embarrassed. What do you see in me?" I cried and, not for the first time, the little voice inside of me wondered.

Eric shrugged his shoulders. "You are special. You care. You make me laugh. You make me feel interested in the world again. There is never a dull moment when I'm around you. You make these feelings come out in me that I have never felt before." He glanced at me curiously. "Why?"

"Nothin'," I replied.

I didn't know what else to say to that. I wanted to tell him about Bobby, but I found that the words wouldn't come to me. How do you tell someone you love that a person that they trusted wanted to harm a loved one?

"You know…" Eric hesitated before continuing. "Once I get you home...I am _never_ going to let you go again."

My heart flipped-flopped in my chest after hearing those words. I wished that he wouldn't let me go either, but my home was back in Bon Temps and I really liked to work as a barmaid. I wished that things could be different-that I was different. I was just so used to being on my own…I had only counted on myself for the littlest of things for a long time now. I wasn't sure if I was ready to give up my independence as well as the fact that I was still discovering things about myself that I hadn't known before.

"You are quiet," Eric commented towards me. His eyes remained on the road. "Your thoughts are in a tangled mess inside your head." He waited patiently for me to reply.

"It's…Bobby," I sighed. "He's not going to like the fact that I'm staying with you."

"What do you mean?" This time Eric looked over at me with a startled expression on his face.

I figured that since I mentioned Bobby's name that I may as well get it over and done. "He…_threatened_ me. He told me that I'm not good enough for you and that he would make sure that we won't last."

Eric growled and frowned. "That…_human_," he spoke as if the word was repulsive. Which it probably was true to Eric because he had always looked down on humans. "When was this? Why did you not say anything sooner?"

"Eric," I tried to placate him. Through our bond I knew that he was very close to losing control of his iron-clad temper. "He's only trying to look out for you, that's all. He thinks that because I've caused you so much trouble in the past, that I'll only do it again."

"What is he, my _keeper_?" Eric exclaimed. "No," he shook his head. "I will talk to Bobby. I will make sure that he does not threaten you again or…there will be consequences."

Judging from what I briefly pictured in his mind, I didn't like those consequences; even for someone like Bobby. "Please, just leave it alone. I'm sure that he's just protecting you, like you protect me. It will all blow over once we get this adoption out of the way and my stalker locked away in prison. Don't worry about it…" I waved it off, hoping to calm him down.

"No, I will not," Eric replied. "You are my bonded. My lover. I will not have anybody disrespecting you, even if they are employed by me. I will make sure that he understands where you and I stand and not to get in our way."

I sighed. It was no use. I felt guilty already for what Bobby may have to go through. I suddenly wanted to forget about the whole thing and focus on something more pleasant.

I glanced down at my blanket that I had wrapped around me. I was completely naked underneath. Eric never gave me a chance to put on some clothes before leaving. I turned the heat on high because I was cold. It felt strange sitting in his car with no clothes on. I felt naked and exposed, even though I knew that I was completely covered.

"Yes, I can not wait to get you home either," Eric spoke up suddenly. I looked towards him curiously. "I keep picturing you naked underneath," he explained. "It is taking all of my self-control to not pull over, stop the car and ravish you, right here and now."

My heart raced at the thought. In my limited experience, I had never had sex in a car before. Almost, but not quite.

"Unless…" Eric paused, then looked towards me hopefully, with his eyebrow raised.

I could definitely picture us laid out on the hood of his car. We wouldn't fit inside since there wasn't very much room. I felt moisture pool in between my thighs at the thought of it.

I looked over at him. Did I mention that he was naked too? He was rubbing himself. I suddenly wanted to touch his gracious plenty. "Yes," I agreed, as I realized how aroused I was from watching him.

Eric pulled the car over on the side of the road. Since it was an interstate, we would be crazy to actually do it there.

"Um…not here…it's too much out in the open and too much traffic," I pleaded. I couldn't believe that me…Sookie Stackhouse, was really going to be doing this. My heart raced and I couldn't breathe. But I was excited in a way that I have never been before. I must be crazy, I thought.

Eric grinned, then put the car in gear. He drove it until he found an exit and turned off. We found a quiet little lane just off of the highway, not far from the interstate. We were in the middle of nowhere and in a forest. Eric was out of the car and had the passenger door opened before I could blink. He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out of the car, the blanket left behind.

He manoeuvred me so that the backs of my thighs were pressed up against the front bumper and laid me down on top of the hood. He leaned over me and began kissing me. The cool air made my nipples pucker. He kissed and licked those. I felt him pressed up against me. That cool, hard, huge length of him. He didn't have to spread my thighs, I spread them myself. I wanted him inside me right at that moment.

Just before he drove inside me, he stared down at me and leaned on the hood of the car. "My lover," he moaned, just before he entered me. Then he started to move inside me. Oh God, yes! I didn't even feel the cool air anymore, I was so hot for him. He bit my neck, taking blood from me, which made me climax sooner than I had planned to. It didn't matter though. He kept driving himself inside me until I came once again. He was relentless. Stars exploded behind my eyelids. I didn't think that I'd ever recover.

He lifted his head, then looked at me. "Remember the orgy?" he asked, curiously.

I nodded my head. Do you really think that I would be able to speak? I was still trying to recover.

"I wanted to do that with you then," he explained. "Too bad Bill interrupted us, I think that I might have been able to convince you." He grinned.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed. "I had already refused when Bill showed up."

"But you were already mine…even when you were with Bill. I knew it as soon as I met you. You will always be mine. From now on until the day you will eventually leave me."

I couldn't see that day coming, as of at that moment. He could have been talking about the day that I died for all I knew. I would be old and gray and he would still look the same as he did today. For the first time, I wondered if what we had might be worth turning into a vampire for. Most vampire relationships, especially maker and child, lasted only a millisecond. I wondered if what Eric and I had could ever turn out to be the one exception, but I didn't want to chance it. I loved him too much as it is, I didn't think that I would ever get over him if we decided to break up.

"Come, we must go."

Eric helped me back into the car and we took off towards Shreveport and his home.

When we got there, the house was dark. I knew that Eric could see without any problem because he was a vampire. He parked his Corvette in the garage and we entered the house. Eric stopped, after we had entered the house, as if he had heard something strange.

"What is it?" I whispered, peering around behind him.

We waited a moment in silence, while Eric listened to some noise that my human ears couldn't pick up.

"Come, it must have been the next door neighbors," he motioned for me to enter the house behind him. "You are safe here."

We entered the house and Eric was kind enough to turn on some lights for me. I stood there, wondering what we were going to do now. I couldn't help it, I yawned. It was very late at night and I'd had a very long day.

"Lover, you should go to bed. You are tired," he told me softly. He escorted me up the stairs to his bedroom, where we both climbed into his bed. He laid down next to me and placed his hand on my stomach. "I will stay with you until you fall asleep."

I closed my eyes and it was lights out, Sookie.

Later that morning, I woke up. It was dark in the bedroom and Eric was laying next to me. He was in his daytime sleep. I watched him sleep for awhile, studying his facial features and the way his long hair spread across his pillow. Even in his death-like state, he looked like every woman's fantasy. I sighed, dreamily.

I showered, dressed and headed downstairs. Bella was in the kitchen humming away.

"Morning Bella," I greeted her cheerfully.

"Goodness me!" She exclaimed, then placed her hand on her chest. "That's two times now that you've startled me. What are you doing here?" She wondered.

"I'm staying with Eric until a situation that I have at home is resolved," I explained. "I hope that's okay."

Bella came over to me and gave me a warm hug. "Oh, you sweet thing. Of course it's okay. It's the master's wishes and I have no say in who he invites into his home. Would you like some coffee? I have some made," she offered.

"Sure."

She poured me a cup and handed it to me. I took it gratefully. She was studying me while I drank. "Would you like me to brew another pot?" She asked.

"No, thank you, ma'am," I replied, hoping to not inconvenience her. "Just go back to whatever it was that you were doing and pretend that I'm not even here," I suggested to her.

Bella got busy doing her household chores, while I went into Eric's library to find a good book. I always liked to read and I knew that Eric had an amazing collection. I found a book and sat down in a comfortable chair. The day flew right by me. Before I knew it, I could feel that Eric was waking up.

I put my book down and headed upstairs to greet him.

"Morning, lover," Eric grinned, devilishly. "Would you care to join me?" He was laying on the bed, in a dishevelled state, naked and fully aroused.

What he meant by that was, would I like to join him in bed for a round of hot sex? How could I say no? I climbed into bed with him where he proceeded to make sweet love to me.

I curled up against him when it was over. I was so happy and content, that I didn't want this feeling to ever end. "What are your plans tonight?" I asked him, curiously.

"I was planning on going into Fangtasia. I have not been there for a few days and I have to check up on a few things."

"Can I come with you?" I asked, hopefully. While the book that I was reading was really good, I was bored without Eric. I needed to do something. I wasn't the type to just laze around and do nothing. "I could help serve customers if you want," I offered.

Eric tensed next to me in bed. I could feel that whatever he had to check on, he didn't want me anywhere near. "Why do you not find a show to watch on TV?" He suggested. "I will not be gone long."

I frowned, wondering what it was that Eric wasn't telling me. "Is there a problem there that you have to fix?" I asked, curiously. "That you don't want me knowing about?" I studied him while I tried to read his thoughts, which he'd purposely hid from me. "Okay," I sighed, resigned to my fate. "But you know…when I'm bored, I tend to do awful things," I teased.

"What kind of things?" Eric asked, curiously.

"Oh…like rearrange furniture…snoop through files…hide things. That kind of thing," I shrugged. I didn't really do those things when I was bored, but Eric wouldn't know the difference. My mind was closed off from his now too, so that he wouldn't figure out that I was fibbing. I really wanted to get out of the house, even if I knew that Eric would be working. I was so used to human contact while working in the bar, that one whole day in Eric's house had seemed like an eternity. I needed to get out of the house. I would not make a good stay at home mom, I thought.

"Okay," he relented. "Let's get up and get ready."

We made quite the spectacle when we walked into Fangtasia. All of Eric's employees and patrons alike were staring at us. I glanced around behind me, checking to see if they were watching someone else behind us. Nope, they were not. They were looking right at me.

Eric was greeted by varying versions of, "evening boss", "how are you boss?" And "when you have a moment, I have something to run by you."

Only Pam came over and greeted me with a warm smile and a hug. I backed out of her arms with a curious expression on my face. "Is it always like that?" I asked, motioning towards Eric, who was heading towards his office door.

"Sometimes," Pam answered. She reached for my left hand, lifted it and frowned, then dropped it again. "Huh."

"What, _huh_?" I asked, curious by her actions. Had Eric told Pam about his plans?

"I had hoped that Eric may have-never mind," Pam waved it off. She ushered me over to Eric's table in front of the room. "What are you having tonight?" She asked.

I ordered my usual, but not before asking her once again about her comment. Pam waved it off again. "It is nothing. I will bring you your drink while you wait for Eric to deal with business." Pam marched off towards the bar.

I looked around Fangtasia, listening in on peoples' thoughts. Sex, sex, sex, was the thought uppermost in peoples' minds. There was one glaring thought that seemed to stand out more than the rest. I focused in on it intently.

_We have to move this shit. Shit, the owner came in. He's ruthless and scary. I hope he doesn't find out about me. Those girls sitting over there might be able help me unload this shit. They look like fangbangers. Shit, here he comes! Don't make eye contact. Don't let him notice you._

Eric sat down next to me at that moment, so I knew immediately who the person meant. Eric took my hand in his and took a sip of the Tru Blood that one of his waitresses had handed him.

_Shit, shit, shit! Now, how am I going to move this shit? He's staring at me, he knows that I'm selling it. I know it! _

I wanted to forget about the persons' thoughts. Instead, I turned to Eric. "Did you get your work done? That was quick."

"Not all of it, but I could feel that you were curiously scared about something. What is it? Did one of the patrons hit on you?" He asked, full of concern.

I had my mind closed off from his, to protect him. I wanted to wait until I had organized my thoughts. I had no clue what they all meant, that was why he didn't already know about the voice that I'd heard.

"No," I shook my head. "I just…it's over now. I think I'm always scared when you're not around." I squeezed his hand in mine. It felt like a cold, stone sculpture, but I was still able to feel comforted by it in mine. "You should get back to work so that we can dance." I tried giving him some incentive.

"Yes," Eric nodded his head, then stood up. He leaned over me and gave me a kiss. "I will hurry. I love dancing with you."

Eric hurried back to his office, which in and of itself was unusual. He seemed almost happy, I thought. I grinned, knowing that I had something to do with it.

Pam sauntered over once Eric had disappeared into his office. "He seems like a little boy," she drawled, casually. "What did you promise him? Sex on his desk?" She teased.

I knew that she was teasing, but still I blushed. "Pam!" I exclaimed. I looked around, hoping that nobody else had heard her. "It's not like that…he just wanted to get stuff done so that we could dance."

Pam snickered. "Same thing, in my opinion." She gazed around the bar, making sure that the waitresses were doing their job. After asking if I wanted another drink, which I didn't, she sauntered off once again.

I gazed around too, hoping that I could hear that persons' mind again. Every person that I gazed at seemed to be having a great time. One by one, I eliminated each one until I heard that voice again in my head.

_That must be his fangbanger girlfriend. Look at how she's sitting there watching us. Thinking she's better than us. She thinks that she can get away with shit just because she's banging a vamp, when I know better. She's nothing but a crazy two-bit whore. I know, because I've seen her in action. She's nothing but a no-good barmaid with big boobs and blonde hair. That must have been how she landed the vamp, by promising him her blood and allowing him to cop a feel. _

I sat there horrified by what I had heard. My face didn't show it though. I was used to hiding my thoughts. I plastered on a smile on my face, hoping to drown out any more thoughts. It didn't help though. I heard him once again.

_Yeah, I'll wait until she leaves before I do it. Maybe I could plant the shit on her? She would be the last person that he would suspect. The only problem is…what if he's with her? I need to come up with a Plan B. _

I was so scared after hearing the person's thoughts, that I didn't know what to do. I stood up and raced into Eric's office without knocking.

"Sookie, what on earth?" Eric asked, startled to see me there.

"Come, we have no time. You and me have to get out of here." I pleaded with him. I raced around his desk and tried getting him to move.

"Sookie?" Eric repeated.

"I'll explain later…" I told him, refusing to budge.

"So, this is your bonded that I have heard so much about." I heard a voice from behind me, say.

I turned around and gasped.

**TBC**


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:** First of all, let me apologize for the long delay! I've been very busy in real life, as well as I've been busy setting up a new blog. Yes, you read that right. Like many other fanfic writers, I have decided to not post on here anymore. This will be the last chapter that I will post. You can continue to read my stories over at my blog if you want. The link is on my profile page and all you have to do is subscribe to get email alerts whenever I update or post something on there! You don't have to log in or anything! Why, you ask? I've posted my reasons over at my blog and I hope you can understand my decision. It's much better for me, creativity wise, and there's more options too. (I make artwork too, did you know that?) Anyways...thank you very much for all of your comments, I really appreciate them! I'm glad that you're enjoying my story! Now, on with the next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris, no monetary compensation is gained.

**Rated**: M

* * *

**Chapter 19**

I couldn't believe it. The person sitting in one of the chairs in Eric's office, was none other than Nan Flanagan from the American Vampire League. I had seen her a number of times on the TV, arguing about vampire rights' with other officials. I had never before met her in person. I wondered what she was doing in Eric's office.

I turned around to face Eric, suddenly apologetic for barging in on his meeting. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" I turned back toward Nan Flanagan. "I'm sorry for interrupting. You see… He needs to-no, _I_ need him for something." I turned back to Eric once again. "Something _important_."

I tried to communicate with my eyes, as well as with my mind. My gaze was full of urging.

"That is fine," Nan replied, regally. "I will take my leave but…our conversation is not over with, Mr. Northman." She gave him a pointed look, then took her leave from Eric's office.

"What was that about?" I asked, as soon as Nan Flanagan had left the room. "She's famous, isn't she?"

"What is wrong, lover?" Eric asked, ignoring my questions. "You are very scared. Did someone threaten you in my club?"

"No!" I objected. "No, it's nothing like that. Well, kind of. I heard someone's voice. A male I think. They were threatening to plant something on me because you would never dream of suspecting me. I don't know what they're talking about. It's all so confusing for me. Do you know what they could possibly mean?"

"What did this person say?" He asked, curiously.

"He said that he needed to get rid of the shit. He knows that you own Fangtasia and that he fears you. After you came out and sat with me for a couple of minutes, he noticed me. That's when he started wondering about planting it on me…but I could tell that he's scared of doing it when you're around. Do you know what any of that means?" I asked, puzzled and confused.

"Do you know who this person was?" I had Eric's full and undivided attention. He sat up with an alarmed kind of alertness.

"No," I shook my head. "I can only tell you that he was in the room. When I looked around the club for him, he could plainly see that I was looking at him. But I didn't notice anybody looking back at me or anything." I shrugged my shoulders.

"I think I know what "shit" he is referring to," Eric thought aloud. He sighed. "I have been holding something back from you, lover. I should tell you the whole thing, since it is now obvious that they may use you to get at me," he explained. "I have suspected that there has been a V dealer that has been selling V in my club. I have had my people investigating it, but every road leads to a dead end. In fact, that was why Nan Flanagan was here. She was acting on behalf of the League to find out if all of the rumors were true."

"Does that mean that you could be in trouble?" I worried. I bit my lip anxiously. "What did she say?"

"She had hardly started; when you burst in. She told me that she was here on behalf of the League and that they suspected some kind of drug activity originating from Fangtasia. I assured her that I had nothing to do with it and that I was investigating it. Then, you barged in."

"Oh." I felt badly for interrupting. "I'm sorry. I should have knocked, but the guy had me so scared. I didn't want to stay out in that room without you."

"Pam would have protected you. I have instructed her to," he tried to reassure me. "Come." He motioned with his arms to come sit on his lap. I did. I rested my head on the crook between his neck and shoulder. He leaned his chin upon my head. "I promise you…I will find out who this person is. I will get rid of the V-selling in my club. I promise to find out who is stalking you. I will make sure everything turns out right in the end. I am sorry," he tried comforting me.

"This could really hurt our court case with Hunter," I commented, aloud.

"I know, my lover. That is why I forced you to move in with me for the time being. I need to take care of this, so that we will not have any problems when it comes to the court proceedings. I can not do that, if I am in Bon Temps. And I will not leave you alone with anybody but myself, except for Pam. There is no one else that I trust that completely." He explained. "Feel better?"

I lifted my head and gazed into his blue eyes. "A little, perhaps. What happens if you don't find out who the V trafficker is?"

"Then I am sure that the League will step in. Which will make things look even worse for social services. I am sorry that I did not tell you about this sooner. I really thought that I would have solved the problem by now." He frowned, as if puzzled as to why he hadn't. "Your stalker has not helped matters any either. If social services finds out about this, then you may not gain custody of Hunter."

"Argh!" I cried. "Maybe I should rethink this thing?" I mused aloud.

"Lover, please do not let things that are out of your control - reshape your goals and dreams. We will get ourselves out of this somehow," he said, reassuringly.

"Some parents we're turning out to be," I complained. "We can't even take care of ourselves!"

"Shush." He pulled my head into his shoulder again. "We will get through this. I promise. It will not be as easily as we pictured, that is all." He tried to reassure me once again. "Come with me, we will go out into the bar area. You listen intently for that voice and communicate with me what he is saying exactly. If he is too scared to do anything when I am around, then we might be able to catch him before he does anything to you or to others."

He lifted me from his lap and stood up to his amazing height. I had to crane my neck to look up at him. He took my hand and led me out of his office. We sat down at his table. We both looked around the room for signs of the drug dealer.

"_Anything yet?" _Eric asked me, telepathically.

"_No," _I replied back. I continued to look around the room at all of the patrons. Suddenly, I heard that voice again. I squeezed Eric's hand to let him know to tune into my mind. I let my mind roam free so that he could listen in. It reassured me because I knew that Eric was basically eavesdropping in on everything that I was hearing. I didn't feel quite as scared.

_There they are. Shit! How can I plant it on her when he's sitting right next to her? I will have to create a distraction for him, but what? Think, damn it! What to do…what to do? _

Suddenly, a fight broke out near the bar. Eric and I both turned towards it, but instead of interfering, we both continued to listen in on the human mind. Eric motioned with his hand, for his employees to take care of the disturbance for him.

_Perfect. I didn't even have to start that fight. What in the hell? That fight should've taken him away from her! Damn it! Think! _

I looked around the room and happened to notice a man who seemed familiar to me for some reason. Could he be the one? I looked over at Eric, who was frowning, deep in thought.

"_See that guy over there by the bar? The one in the overalls?" _I asked Eric.

"_Yes, what about him?" _Eric replied back, after searching and finding the one in question.

"_He seems really familiar to me for some reason. The voice mentioned that he knew me and that I worked as a barmaid. Maybe that's him?" _

Without saying anything, Eric moved with blinding speed over to the bar, to where the guy was sitting on a barstool. I wasn't sure what was said, because Eric couldn't read the man's mind, unless I was doing it first. But I could hear the man's thoughts.

_Oh, shit! Can he move fast. I must get out of here! What if he discovers what I'm doing? _

A different man and not the man that Eric had approached at all, got up and walked steadily towards the door. I called out to Pam to stop him. She looked at me strangely, then followed the guy out the door. Having heard my words, Eric stopped what he was doing and followed in the chase.

I rushed out of Fangtasia, hoping that one or the other one had caught him. I found Eric and Pam standing next to the building. Eric was holding the man's neck and pressed him up against the wall. Pam was watching. The man's feet were off the ground. Eric was choking him. His fangs had elongated.

"What are you doing selling V in _my_ club?" Eric accused. He shook the man. "Who is your supplier?" He demanded.

The guy couldn't talk of course. He was being choked. He tried to answer Eric but only gurgling sounds came out.

"Eric, you might get your answers if you stopped choking him," I spoke aloud.

"Stay out of this, Sookie!" Eric shouted at me. I could feel his control slipping.

I had to think of another tactic. "Pam, please…do something," I pleaded. "Eric won't get his answers, if the guy is dead."

I could see her nod her head.

"Eric, Sookie is right. We can take him to the basement. You can _interrogate_ him there," she tried to reason with her maker.

After a few moments, Eric seemed to be a lot calmer, I could feel. I could tell that we had gotten through to him. "Okay," he agreed.

They took him to the basement and tied him to a table. I stood on the staircase, watching.

"Sookie, you should not be here to see this," Eric turned towards me to say. "Go on up to my office. This will not take long."

Knowing that I didn't like the thought of watching anybody get tortured, I didn't fight it. I left the basement and went into Eric's office, where I paced, impatiently.

After awhile, Eric came back into the room. He had a very pensive look on his face that made me worry.

"Eric?" I asked, as he sat down behind his desk. He looked stunned. "What is it?"

As if suddenly reawakened, Eric shook himself and looked at me. "He…he did not take well to pain. He told me who supplies him, but nothing more than that. I do not think that he knew who was behind it. He admitted that he had been selling V here for awhile. But he did tell me something…that surprised me."

"What?" I asked, impatiently waiting for Eric to reveal it to me. "Tell me everything," I pleaded.

"No," he shook his head. "Let's just say that you have nothing to fear." Eric had a pleased expression on his face. "I think I can come up with the rest on my own. I have had my suspicions for awhile now," he explained.

I could definitely feel Eric's sense of relaxation. His mood was happy and there was not a hint of concern in his body. I narrowed my eyes at him. _Why wouldn't he tell me? I thought that we were through with keeping secrets from each other?_

Eric had read my mind of course and answered my question for me. "You will find out in due time, my lover. In due time…I have a plan and your reaction plays a part in it. I'm sorry. I want you to be really surprised when it is finally revealed," he explained.

I wasn't happy. Eric could sense that too. He motioned for me to sit on his lap again. "Come on…" he tried to placate me. "I know that you are disappointed, but I promise…it is better that you do not know for right now. I want this plan to be successful. They will be watching you closely."

"Who are 'they'?" I asked him, curiously and suspiciously. I stood there with my arms crossed across my breasts, pouting.

"You will find out soon enough."

I sighed. I didn't like being left in the dark and knowing about it too. "I guess…"

"Sookie…have I ever let you down before? Have I not always saved you in the nick of time? Have I not given you what you wanted?" He asked. I nodded my head. He had always been there for me, even when I least expected it. "Good, then trust me on this too."

I sat down on his lap, not happy, but accepting that the only reason why he was keeping this from me was so that his plan might be successful. We cuddled for awhile. Eric rested his chin on my head. I snuggled up against him, like a comfortable pillow. I felt happy and content in his arms.

"Promise me that when this all blows over, that there will be no more secrets?" I asked. "I promise that I will never keep anything from you ever again too. I think that both of us _think _that we're trying to protect the other, but all we're doing is hurting ourselves in the long run."

"I agree, lover. I promise."

He kissed me, sealing our vow. I wished that we were sealing another kind of vow, but I didn't want to get my hopes up where that was concerned. We had enough on our plate as it was, we didn't need to make marriage plans another. But I hoped that it would happen…eventually.

* * *

The next evening, we were scheduled for our first supervised visitation with Hunter. The social worker would pick him up and bring him over. She would sit there and watch us, while we tried to bond. I was nervous, sure, but I still couldn't wait. I was terribly excited.

Bella and I had cleaned up the house and rearranged things so that Eric's valuables would be kept safe from a curious four year old. It had taken all day. I even started to pick out which bedroom Hunter would stay in (hopefully) eventually. He would have a room, that at the moment, looked much more decorated for an adult. I would need to redecorate it for a child. I had the color scheme and everything all planned out in my head.

Eric was nervous, I could tell. I wanted to reassure him that Hunter or any child for that matter, wasn't as scary as he thought. _You'll be fine._ I kept reassuring him in my mind. _Hunter is a great kid. I think you and he will get along famously. _

Eric would snort when he would hear those thoughts. I knew that they made him happy, but I knew that it didn't take away his fear. Funny, that a thousand year old vampire would be afraid of a four year old little boy. I wondered how Hunter would react to seeing Eric, a tall striking vampire who used to be a Viking. I hoped that Hunter wouldn't be a afraid either.

The social worker showed up with Hunter hanging on to her hand. As soon as he saw me, he rushed over towards me and gave me a big hug. I knelt down to hug him. He squealed because I must have squeezed him too tight. Eric's blood made me stronger than a lot of other human beings. I didn't know my own strength.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to squeeze you," I apologized to Hunter. He looked past me and over at Eric. His eyes grew round. "Hunter, this is Eric. Eric, this is Hunter," I introduced them.

I noticed Hunter's gaze move up Eric, starting at his feet and up to his head. His eyes grew rounder. I could hear Hunter's thoughts saying, _"wow, he's big. Is he going to hurt me?" _

I spoke to him in his mind. _"No, Hunter. Be a gentleman and shake his hand." _I invited.

Hunter stuck his hand out towards Eric, who stood there looking down at him like he was the strangest thing that he'd ever seen. "Pleased to meet ya," he bravely kept his hand held out for Eric to take it.

"Pleased to meet you too," Eric reached out and shook his hand, careful not to squeeze it too hard, since he would easily break bones in it. The two of them measured each other up, while they shook hands. Eric grinned and squatted down so that he was at the same level as Hunter. "Welcome to my home. Come with me, I have a surprise for you."

Hunter looked at me, to give him approval. I nodded my head and told him in his mind that it was okay. Eric led Hunter away into the family room, where the TV was. The social worker and myself, followed along behind. I hadn't known that Eric had planned a surprise for Hunter. I couldn't imagine what it would be. I was curious.

There was a box sitting on the coffee table, that I hadn't noticed until now. It had a big red bow on it and was wrapped like a present. Hunter's eyes zoomed in on it. "Is that for me?" He asked, curiously.

"Yes," Eric replied, grinning down at Hunter. "You can open it if you want."

Hunter raced over to the present and ripped open the wrapping paper, like most little kids do. His eyes grew round when he saw what was inside. "Wow," he exclaimed, studying the present. "A truck!"

Eric laughed. "That is what it looks like."

"Can I play with it now?" Hunter wondered.

"Sure," Eric replied. "It is yours."

"Really?" Hunter asked, amazed that Eric had given him a present.

"Really."

"No way!" Hunter exclaimed, excitedly.

"Way," Eric replied back, fighting to keep the laughter back.

With Eric's help, Hunter took the truck out of the packaging and started to play with it on the carpeted floor. I walked over and stood next to Eric. "That was very generous of you," I commented to him. Tears of happiness sprang to my eyes at the thought of Eric doing something so nice for Hunter.

Eric glanced at me, noticed my tears and wrapped his arm around me. "Hey, why are you crying?" He asked, curiously.

"Because…that was so sweet and wonderful and…" I tried to explain it to him, but I was choked up with emotion. "I love you." I wrapped my arms around his middle.

He hugged me close. "It is okay. I did not think that you would cry because of this." Eric was concerned about me. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked, suddenly unsure of himself.

"No," I exclaimed. "You did everything right!"

"Then, why are you crying?"

"No reason. I'm just…you make me so happy. I couldn't ask for a better man than you," I replied, still crying.

Eric leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Do not let that get out, you understand?" He laughed.

I laughed too. We stood there and watched Hunter playing with his new truck until I remembered the social worker standing there. "Oops! Where are my manners?" I exclaimed. "Would you like some tea or coffee?" I asked, playing hostess.

"Tea, please," the social worker replied back, her gaze on Hunter while he played. "That was very nice of you to buy him a toy." Her mind was easy to read. _I would never expect anything like that from a vampire. _She thought to herself.

"No problem," Eric replied. "Have a seat."

I called Bella into the room, and asked her to bring us some tea. We sat down on the couch and made ourselves comfortable. Eric sat next to me. The social worker took the chair across from us. Bella came back with a tray with a couple of cups and a tea pot. I prepared the social workers' tea, as well as my own. We sat back and watched Hunter play with his truck.

Hunter was going _vroom-vroom_, while he drove the truck across the carpet. Eric was staring at him with a curious and puzzled expression on his face.

"Tell me," the social worker said. "How did the two of you meet?"

I glanced at Eric, who was still staring at Hunter. I could tell that I was on my own with this one. Eric was too curious about Hunter to pay much attention to what was happening with the social worker to care. I shrugged. "Well…it's a long story. Are you sure that you want to know?"

"It will help with your case," the social worker pointed out. She kept glancing at Eric and myself, then back again. I could read in her mind that Eric made her scared and she was very curious about our relationship.

"Okay…let's see," I tried to think of where to start. "I'll start at the beginning. I first met Eric when I was investigating a friends' murder. I went to his club here in Shreveport that he owns. Maybe you've heard of it? It's called, Fangtasia." The social worker nodded her head and kept glancing back and forth from me to Eric. "Well, I asked him some questions about my friend, as well as another girl who had been murdered. Then, I kind of started working for Eric. Mostly doing odd things for him." How do you tell someone that those odd things included mind reading? "Well, we became friends and eventually…we started dating. The rest, as they say is history."

"Interesting…" the social worker commented. "And are there any plans for the future?"

This time I needed Eric's help. _Eric! _I told him in my mind. _Help me! I really need your help with this one! _

Eric shook himself from his reverie.

"I'm sorry, what was the question?" Eric asked, getting involved with the conversation for the first time.

**TBC**

73D72025-F64B-002B-26B1-61F433EED291

1.03.01


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note**: Surprised to see an update from me? LOL Well, you'll be pleased to know that I've decided that I _will_ continue update _Deadly Intentions_ on here! :) I understand that some of you are mobile users and I'm not entirely sure if my blog is mobile user friendly. I'm not saying that I won't stop posting stories on here in the future...but I _will_ finish this one. I have written a TB based one-shot which will **not **be posted on here, but you can read it over at my blog, called "Final Goodbye". It's how I wish TB had ended. Anyways, I hope that relieves some of you. Thanks so much for all of your concerns, suggestions and comments, I really appreciate them! *hugs* Now, on with the chapter...

**Disclaimer**: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I own nothing!

**Rated:** M (sexual content, language and some violence)

* * *

**Chapter 20**

"_She wants to know if we have any plans for a future together,__"_ I told him at the same time as the social worker repeated the same question.

"Oh, well…we will see," he winked at her. He purposely wrapped his arm around me. "It all depends on this little woman sitting right next to me."

"_What do you mean, __'__this little woman__'__?__" _I cried out in my mind. _"__You better be nice.__"_ I smiled at him bashfully, so that the social worker wouldn't wonder why, if we betrayed any signs when we communicated telepathically. I doubted she would suspect that, but she might think we were hiding something.

"You see…she is very stubborn and loves to make trouble for me, but…" I wanted to hit Eric right then. How dare he? "I love her anyway. But we will see what happens." He winked at the social worker once again to show that he was joking.

_Stubborn…trouble? Where does he get off? _

I looked over at the social worker. I could tell that the woman was now charmed by him. I wasn't sure if he had glamoured her or if it was a combination of his personality and great looks.

Hunter choose that moment to plop the truck down right on Eric's lap, narrowly missing his Gracious Plenty. If Eric wasn't a vampire, he would have been wincing in pain.

"Play," Hunter instructed, he pushed the truck closer.

Having watched the way that Hunter played with his truck, Eric sat down on the floor and began making _'vroom-vroom' _noises too. Hunter giggled as Eric tried to drive the truck into him. The social worker and I watched the two of them playing together for awhile, with grins on our faces.

I had never seen this side of Eric before. He was like a little boy. I briefly wondered, if he had had any kind of childhood toys when he had been growing up. He probably hadn't, the days of the Viking were completely different from the modern day, but it was enjoyable to watch the way that Eric and Hunter got along.

Eventually, Eric decided to let him play alone with the truck and sat down next to me on the couch again. We made small-talk with the social worker and watched Hunter play. He quickly got tired of playing with the truck, having the usual attention span of a four year old, stood up and gazed at Eric, intently peering into his eyes as if he was trying to read his mind.

"_Aunt Sookie, how come I can't hear his thoughts but I can hear yours and the social workers?" _Hunter wondered.

"_Because Eric is a vampire. We can't read their thoughts," _I explained.

Hunter frowned, confused about why we couldn't. _"A vampire?" _he repeated, puzzled and confused.

"_Vampires are beings who are dead. That's why we can't read their minds," _I explained.

Hunter moved closer to Eric and stood in between his thighs. He stared into Eric's eyes, as if trying to force himself to read the vampire's mind. He gave up and decided to satisfy his curiosity by speaking aloud.

"How come you have girl hair?" he asked Eric.

Eric, amused by the question, started chuckling. "It is that way because I like it. It is how I wore it when I was human."

Hunter absorbed it and frowned. "Do you wear it in braids and ponytails like a girl does too?"

Eric chuckled once again. "Yes."

Hunter still didn't understand. He frowned. "If you are dead, how come you are sitting right here talking to me, playing with my new truck? My daddy is dead now and I can't talk to him. How can that be?"

"I can because I am a vampire. Well, it is hard to explain, but I drink blood and can only come out at night. I am not dead the same way your father is," he explained, patiently. He seemed able to easily handle the swiftness with which that Hunter changed subjects.

"So my dad isn't a vampire?" he asked hopefully.

Eric shook his head, 'No'.

"Yuck, you drink blood?" Hunter made a gagging sound. "Gross. How do you get it?"

"Well…" Eric looked from the social worker then back at Hunter again. "I have fangs that help take the blood out, but these days we drink TruBlood," Eric replied diplomatically.

"Can I see them?" Hunter pestered him.

"Hunter!" I exclaimed. This was partly to scold him for being so demanding and because of my fear the social worker would get grossed out and hold it against us.

"It is okay, Sookie," Eric told me softly. He turned back to Hunter, revealing his fangs.

Hunter leaned in. "Wow! Can I touch them?" He started to reach out to do just that.

"Young man, where are you manners?" I scolded him for being so curious.

"Sure you can, kiddo," Eric encouraged. In his mind, he told me. _"Let him get it out of his system. He's a little boy. They are curious."_

This surprised me; Eric had seemed unfamiliar with children up until now.

Hunter touched them and went 'oooh' and 'ahhh'. He was impressed. "Those are real?" He asked Eric.

"Yes," Eric retracted his fangs. "I can do magic tricks too. Would you like to see?"

Hunter nodded his head.

Eric stood up and picked up the couch with me on it, with one hand. He lifted it up and over his head, which showed off his immense strength.

Hunter's eyes were round. "Wow, I can't do anything like that. Show me more. More, more, more!" He demanded, excitedly.

I could easily tell that this was a male thing. Eric wanted to show off and impress either the social worker or me and Hunter was his attentive audience. I rolled my eyes. Eric sat the couch back down and thought of something else that he could do.

"Oh, I bet you did not know that some vampires can fly, did you?" He asked Hunter.

Hunter shook his head. Eric levitated above the room until his head touched the ceiling, and then came down again. Hunter was impressed. "Wow, you're like Superman!" He exclaimed. "Can you take me flying too?"

"Sure," Eric picked him up. They went outside where Eric would have more room to fly around.

The social worker and I stood at the window and watched them fly around in the night. Hunter was giggling the whole time, enjoying the experience.

I grew bored. "I guess that answers that question…" I commented to the social worker. She had been watching the whole scene in amazement and turned back to me with my comment. "Whether or not, they would get along." I clarified for her.

The social worker nodded her head in understanding. I could read in her mind that she was pleased and this reassured me that she was happy with the visit.

Soon, it was time to go. Eric had worn Hunter out, his eyes were drooping. We got him ready to leave, while Hunter fought to stay awake.

"Sorry for wearing him out like this," Eric apologized. He was sorry for making Hunter so exhausted. "I hope you will not hold it against us."

"Don't be silly," the social worker reassured us. "I think it's good, both for Hunter and your court case as well. It shows that this will be a fun-loving home. Hunter, let's go. It's time to go home." She held out her hand for him to take it.

All of a sudden, Hunter screamed out, "No! I don't want to go back. You can't make me!" He ran, not to me as I thought he would, but over to Eric and hugged him around his knees. Eric gave me a startled expression. I was surprised, maybe a part of me felt a little left out, but I was happy that Hunter trusted Eric enough to feel safe going to him.

"Hunter," I tried to comfort him. I squatted down next to Eric, who was now cradling the child in his arms. He had taken a seat on the bottom step of the stairs leading up to our bedroom. "I'm sorry, but you must. We can do this again some other time," I tried to reason with him.

"No!" He shouted at me. I could tell that he was extremely tired. He was acting like how any normal child would, when they needed a nap. He turned to Eric with a pleading expression on his face. "Please! Don't let me go. I need you, Uncle Eric." Hunter's Eric sounded more like, _air-wic_. It sounded very cute. Nevertheless, this wasn't the time to go, 'awww'.

"Hey, kiddo, I would love to keep playing with you and 'hanging out', but sometimes a man has to do, that which he does not want to do. You do not want to disappoint, Aunt Sookie, do you?" Hunter shook his head. "Then, you go with the social worker and we will see you again soon."

"Promise?" He asked, hopefully, with tears in his eyes.

"Promise." Eric crossed his heart and hoped to die. "And the next time you come over, I will have another surprise waiting for you," he winked at him.

That sounded great to Hunter. I gave Eric a stern look because he shouldn't bribe a child the way that he was doing. Hunter turned to me and hugged me. _"I'm sorry, Aunt Sookie. I promise that I'll be on my best behavior." _

I hugged him back. _"I'll miss you. Go along now with the nice woman. We will see each other soon," _I told him.

I had troubles letting him go and Eric had to help me do that. "_Lover, do I have to promise you something too?" _

I shook my head. _"No, it's just that it's hard-I don't want to say goodbye." _

Hunter lifted his head from my shoulder and stared from Eric and me, then back again. "_Can he read my mind too?" _

"_Oh, shoot!" _I exclaimed in my mind. We hadn't told him that Eric could read my mind. I looked over at Eric with a scared expression on my face. What to say to him in reply? I thought frantically.

"_No, Hunter. He can only read mine. But we'll talk more about this the next time you come to visit, okay?" _I stared at Hunter, hopeful that this would be enough to placate him. No such luck...

"_No! I want to talk about it now!" _He screamed at me in our minds. If I could let him go, I would go upstairs and grab myself a Tylenol. The level of mental sound had caused me to get a headache.

"_Hunter, the social worker won't like it if we keep her waiting any longer. She will wonder why. We will talk about it the next time, I promise." _

"_Fine," _he grumbled.

Finally, I disentangled myself from Hunter and he walked out the door with the social worker. As soon as the door closed, I turned into Eric's arms and started crying.

Eric held me in his arms for a while, muttering soft words. "Lover, I know that it is hard…but we will see him again soon." He did his best to make me feel better.

"I know," I sobbed into his shoulder. "It's just that-he's so scared. I'm scared for him. I don't know what I would do if something hap-"

"Happened?" He asked, finishing my sentence for me. "I will make sure that he is kept safe. I promise."

I stared up into his eyes, knowing that he would keep his word. "How will you do that?" I asked, curiously.

Eric winked down at me. "I have my ways…"

Later that night, I went to bed. Eric lay with me until I fell asleep. I felt him get up and leave the bed, but I was so tired, that I didn't move.

* * *

Eric knew what he had to do. He followed Hunter's scent until he found himself outside of a run-down shack a few miles outside of Red Ditch. _Remy's cousins' place_, he thought to himself.

He stood outside of the house. He could hear someone screaming and crying from inside. A new kind of fear made him rush over to the window closest to the sound. He peered in.

Anger and rage swept through him after what he saw. A man who looked like he had a beer belly was spanking Hunter repeatedly. Eric couldn't save him because he hadn't been invited inside the house. Eric felt a new sense of helplessness. He moved away from the window and closed his eyes; tried to block both the images and the sounds out.

What kind of person would do this to a child? He wondered. He felt an intense hatred for the man. If he had been invited into the house, the man would have been drained by now.

He heard the door to the bedroom slam shut. He looked into the window once again and noticed that Hunter was laying on the bed, crying into his pillow. His heart ached for the little boy. Already, he was beginning to feel those irrational and intensive emotions for the child. The same ones he felt for Sookie, and yet he had only met the boy this evening. It made no sense.

"Hunter," he called out to him from the other side of the closed window. "Invite me in," he coaxed. It took a few moments of repeating those words until Hunter raised his head up from the pillow-and looked over at him.

Hunter's eyes were red and bloodshot from his tears, which had made his cheeks wet. "Uncle Eric?" He asked, surprised to see him there. "Is that really you?" He asked, incredulously. He sat up in bed and stared at Eric in the window. "How did you find me?"

"Hunter, invite me in," Eric ignored Hunter's questions. "I will answer your questions, if you invite me in," he explained.

"Come in, Uncle Eric," Hunter told him, excitedly. Hunter was really happy to see Eric there, Eric could tell. As if the spanking that he'd just received was forgotten, Hunter jumped up off of the bed, rushed over to the window and opened it.

Having received the much-needed invitation, Eric climbed in. He hugged the still trembling child close to him, trying to comfort the boy.

"Why was that man beating you?" Eric asked, angry on Hunter's behalf. "What happened?" His voice full of both rage and concern.

Hunter looked afraid. He looked towards the closed bedroom door and back again.

"I will not say anything. I only want answers," Eric tried to reassure him.

"After I came home from your house, I did a bad thing," Hunter looked away from Eric, full of shame.

"What did you do?" Eric wondered.

"I told him that I didn't want to live here anymore. That I was going to go live with you and Aunt Sookie," Hunter explained. "Aunt Sookie said that I could," Hunter said before Eric could object. He raised his chin up a notch, stubbornly.

Eric had to bite back his laughter. Hunter's expression reminded him of his bonded. "I take it that the man did not like what you told him?" He asked.

"No," Hunter replied with a pout and full of disappointment. "He told me that he would make sure that I don't live with any old crazy woman." He frowned, confused by what the man had said. "Does he think Aunt Sookie is crazy?" He asked Eric, puzzled and confused. "And she's not _that _old. Not as old as my next door neighbor. He has to use a cane."

Eric had to smoother his laughter. "Well…she does have her crazy moments," he commented jokingly. "What else did he say?"

"He told me that he was disappointed in me. He told me that I was bad for not wanting to live with him," Hunter explained. "But I'm not bad…am I, Uncle Eric?"

"No," Eric emphatically replied. "And he spanked you for that?" Eric couldn't understand why Hunter had been getting punished when he had shown up. It was late. Hunter should have been fast asleep by now.

"He told me that I deserved it. I had to be taught a lesson. What does that mean, Uncle Eric?"

Eric shook his head. He did not know the answer to that question either. "I do not know, but I promise you…it will not happen again," he vowed. "Come, you need to get to sleep." Eric started to lead Hunter towards the bed by his hand.

"I'm not tired," Hunter dug in his heels. "I want you to tell me a bedtime story."

Eric had never told anyone a story in all of his life. He could not remember any fairy tales either. What kind of story do you tell a little boy? The ancient stories of his people might be too gory for him. He frowned. "I do not know of any stories."

"Don't worry, Uncle Eric," Hunter told him, excitedly. "I have a book you can read me right here." He raced over to a bookshelf and pulled down a book. "Here." Hunter plopped the book down on Eric's lap, just like he'd done with the truck earlier in the evening. "Read." He insisted.

Hunter climbed on to the bed and crawled underneath the covers. Eric opened the page to the first story that he came to. He began to read.

"No, not that one," Hunter whined. He reached over and found a different story in the book. "That one." He laid back down again.

Eric stared at him, utterly bemused. What was the difference? They all had pictures and words. Eric didn't argue. Instead, he lay down on the bed next to him and began to read the story that Hunter wanted.

Before long, Hunter was fast asleep. Eric stared down at him for the longest time. He was curious about him. He was so small, it would be nothing for him to crush one of his bones. He could smell the scent of his blood. It was sweet and intoxicating, just like a 'fairy's'. The strange thing was that he didn't desire to have a taste of it. Instead, he wanted to put his own blood inside of him…so that he could protect him. He frowned.

He already cared for this strange little human, which was completely vexing for him. Why had Sookie not warned him that he would feel this way? It made no sense. Should he tell Sookie about what happened? He knew that she would be bothered by what he had witnessed. He didn't want to make her worry more.

Eric stayed there until dawn, to look out for him in case the man came back to finish the punishment, he only left when it was no longer safe enough to stay.

* * *

"Did you find out more about the V selling in your club?" I asked Eric, the next evening.

"No," Eric shook his head. "Sookie…there is something that you should know." He paused. I could feel the hesitation in his voice.

Uh-oh, this was going to be bad. This reminded me of when he had told me about Lorena and Bill. I prepared myself for it, just like I had back then.

"Okay," I encouraged him to get it out in the open. "Go on."

"Last night, after you went to sleep, I followed Hunter's scent to where he has been staying."

"Remy's cousin's house?" I asked, surprised and confused. I had no clue how this had anything to do with the V selling.

"Yes. I…came upon a scene…that you will not like hearing about," Eric warned.

"What?" I asked, curiously. I couldn't imagine what he was going to say. I braced myself for the worst.

"Hunter was being…punished for speaking his mind. I felt helpless. I was unable to enter and stop it," Eric looked away from me, feeling ashamed.

I could feel his intense guilt and shame and my fears about Hunter's living arrangement grew. It took a lot for a man like Eric to feel this way. "How bad?" I asked, dreading that he would tell me that Hunter had been sent to the hospital or something far worse. "Is he okay?" I couldn't keep the sound of panic and fear out of my voice.

**TBC**


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's Note: I'm truly very sorry that it's taken me this long to update! I hope you can forgive me! You see, RL has been interfering with my pastime and I haven't had very much time. I hope this chapter makes up for the long drought! I want to thank all of you for your reviews and patience! Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long to update. In fact, it probably won't, since I already have it sent back to me from my Beta. Speaking of which, thanks **Northman Maille** for all your hard work, I really appreciate it! *hugs*  
_

_Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris. I'm only borrowing them for a little while. _

_Rated M: For some language and violence_

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Eric began to tell me what happened to Hunter the previous night.

"Hunter was spanked," he explained. "The boy invited me in after the deed was done, but I-" Eric paused. "It was too late. Rest assured, lover. He is fine now, but it brought back memories I had forgotten; my own children from when I was human," he added, as he noticed my puzzled expression. "It feels like he is my own flesh and blood. I feel this powerful, overwhelming need to protect the boy. I felt helpless when I could not."

After I got over the brief horror of hearing Remy's cousin had spanked Hunter, I was incredibly relieved to hear the boy was fine and had invited Eric into the house. Eric gave me a comforting hug; but I had to hide the smile that threatened to spread across my face. Eric had fallen in love with Hunter too. That made me very happy. "I'm glad that you were there for him. Did Hunter say why they spanked him?"

"Yes, they told him he was bad and he needed to be punished. Do not worry. I am going to watch over him to make sure they do not do this again. I will have my best people watching him-day and night," he tried to reassure me. "I understand why you have these feelings that you do. I will hurt _anybody_ who harms Hunter," he vowed.

"I know you will," I told him approvingly.

These strong instincts were part of the reason I wished Eric could be the father of my children. Too bad it wasn't physically possible-he was the kind of man who protected what was his and did it well. "Does that mean that I'll be seeing less of you?" I teased.

"Just try to get rid of me now, Miss Sookie Stackhouse," he winked at me. "This does work well with my plans to investigate the V trafficking…" he mused.

"How so?" I wondered.

"Well, the dealer at the club did tell me that his source of V came from around that area. He did not name any names, but it would bring me closer to finding out who is behind it. I can watch over Hunter and do some investigating at the same time," he explained.

"Oh, Mr. Northman…a vampire multi-tasker," I teased and gave him a wink.

"You should know," he winked back at me. "You know that I can multi-task in a _number _of ways."

Of course the resulting mental images aroused us both, you could guess what happened next…and yes, he proved once again, that he was great at multi-tasking.

* * *

The next evening was the first appointment with the judge and Remy's cousins. I was extremely nervous. I hoped we would make a good first impression on the officials.

I picked out a dress that was stylish but, not too revealing. Eric looked amazing in his dress shirt with no tie, black dress pants, and blazer. He wore his shirt with the top buttons at little bit undone, so I had a glimpse of his naked chest. He chose to wear his hair in a ponytail. I had to fight to keep my thoughts away from taking him to our bed and making love to him over and over again. Eric, put simply, could wear anything and make it look good.

Eric and I met with Mr. Cataliades outside of the room at the courthouse. He looked at us with approval because he had told us what to wear. We had to make it look like we had put an effort into our appearance, without it being too overdone. I was glad he approved.

"Remember, any questions about tonight's appointment, now is the time to ask them." The demon lawyer had coached both of us as to what was expected, but he wanted to make sure.

Eric and I both nodded our heads. "I can't think of anything," I told him, as Eric also shook his. I knew he was just as nervous as I was. We held hands while we waited.

The court appointed secretary came out and called us into the office. Following her in, we sat down at a long table in the conference room. I had never had been in a courthouse before. It wasn't anything like I had pictured on the court shows that I had watched on TV, but the room did remind me of the one in show, Ally McBeal, although not as modern. This was more conservative and the furnishings were antiques.

We were the first to arrive. We took our seats along one side of the long table, I poured myself a drink from one of the pitchers of water in the middle.

Mr. Cataliades emptied out the contents of his briefcase and placed them on top of the table.

I sat there, acting all fidgety and nervous. I couldn't keep still.

After a few minutes, Remy's cousin and his wife came in with their own lawyer. I watched them, still dressed in frumpy clothing and bad attitude, as they sat down across from us. I could feel Eric tense up. He sat there and watched them, both cautiously and prepared to fight. I had to reach over and squeeze his hand underneath the table; attempting to calm him and remind him of the situation. If Eric acted on the images that I could picture in his mind, then we would definitely _not _gain custody of Hunter, not that I blamed him for thinking those thoughts, but this wasn't the time or place.

They stared at Eric, as if they had never seen a vampire before. Maybe they hadn't. But I could tell that his presence had surprised them. They couldn't have known I would bring a vampire into this.

They glared at me. I could feel their intense hatred, I had no clue as to what I had done to cause it, but it was there. I could easily read it in their thoughts too. They were not happy to see me; or the vampire seated next to me.

The judge entered the room, wearing a pantsuit rather than the robe I was expecting. I was glad that she was a woman, but she had a strict look on her face. She looked like she was in her fifties and looked almost like Judge Judy, except her hair was white.

"First of all, my name is Judge Hildebrandt. I'll be watching over these proceedings and I will make the final judgment on your case. These preliminary sessions are for me to find out what your goals are when it comes to the matter of…" she looked at the file on the table in front of her. "One, Hunter Savoy, who's father has recently been declared deceased. It's my understanding that his mother is also deceased, so that leaves it up to the courts to decide where Hunter Savoy will reside."

She wore reading glasses. She looked up over the rims at all of us seated at the table. "Are there any further questions?" She paused. We all shook our heads. "Then let us proceed…"

Each of our lawyers began to address the judge; how each couple would be the most suitable parents and why we wanted to become his guardians. Eric and I sat across the table from Remy's cousins, Dwayne and Sally Savoy, and studied them. Dwayne and Sally sat there and glared at us from across the table.

"…isn't that right, Miss Stackhouse?" I heard Mr. Cataliades ask.

Since I hadn't been paying attention (my thoughts were mostly on what Dwayne and Sally were thinking about) I hadn't heard what he was asking me. "I'm terribly sorry, what were you wondering?" I asked him.

Mr. Cataliades glared at me, but with curiosity, before he repeated his question. "I was telling the judge that you have a special bond with the boy. I was asking you to verify that."

I nodded my head. "Oh, yes. We've only met a few times, but we're really close. I feel like I'm the best person to look after him," I replied.

Eric squeezed my hand with encouragement.

"I guess I should explain better," I said, as I noticed that the judge was gazing at me strangely. "We share a common bond, one that is very rare," I continued.

Eric's presence gave me the inner strength that I needed to proceed. I was very nervous. I didn't want to tell the judge about the telepathy, but I wanted her to know that we have a deep bond. "It's a...family trait that's passed down on my side of the family. I also promised Hunter I would look after him."

"Forgive me for interrupting…but isn't that a little precipitate? And what kind of family trait are you talking about?" The judge asked.

I turned towards her and nodded my head. "Yes, I know it is, but Hunter _wants_ me to look after him. He feels safe in my presence. I'm sorry, but isn't that most important for a child to feel safe and loved?" I pointed out. "I don't think he feels that way while staying at the Savoys. I mean, no offense..."

I faced Dwayne and Sally from across the table. "But I live in a loving, well-kept home. It was passed down from generation to generation in my family. I have never been in trouble." Not that the law knew about anyways. "I work as a barmaid and make good money in tips." I turned to Eric. "Eric owns a bar himself, and we are financially stable." Okay, so I told a slight fib, in my case. I couldn't really tell them the truth. Eric did have a lot of money and I knew that he would provide anything that Hunter might need in the future. I turned back to the Savoys.

"I honestly don't know how you make your living, but it's not apparent in how you dress and in the car you drive. Are you able to provide the things he needs, as we will? If that sounds condescending, I'm sorry. I'm only going by what Hunter has told me and my own impression of you. I know that for some reason you seem to hate me and I don't know why."

I shrugged. I looked over at the judge and hoped that I didn't sound like a complete snob. "The family trait Hunter and I share is...kind of hard to explain," I told her. "All I'm sayin' is I hope you will consider all of this, when you make your decision."

Both Dwayne and Sally glared at me from across the table. I could feel the heat in their gaze and hear their angry thoughts in their heads.

"I see what you're saying, Miss Stackhouse," the judge spoke up. "However, my concern with you is that you are unmarried even though, as you say…you have this man with you."

She looked at Eric. "I know that you're a vampire, Mr. Northman. How is that safe for a young, impressionable child?"

I felt angry that she was tossing the fact that Eric was a vampire into this, but I could understand. There was a lot of ignorance and prejudice against them, similar to the racial prejudices of the past.

"I do not take my business home," Eric responded next to me. "I eat away from my home, unless it is synthetic blood. I sleep during the day. I stay out of other peoples' problems. I have no wish to harm any child, let alone Hunter. "

"But have you killed?" The judge pointed out, staring at him. "Have you fought? Have you created trouble for anyone who you care about? You drink _blood _in order to survive. _Human_ blood."

Eric and I exchanged a look. "I do not see how my past has anything to do with the future. Think about it…how many other parents will outlive their own children?" Eric debated with the judge. He shook his head. "I, not only, have knowledge of history-I have _lived_ it. I have seen the world change very much in the years I have been on this earth. I have seen the advancements in technology and civil rights that no one in this room has."

Except Mr. Cataliades, we both added to ourselves. He didn't add that in. I was sure the judge don't know that Mr. Cataliades was a demon, I wondered what she would think about _that_ in all of her preconceived prejudices.

"I am the perfect person to teach, to care for and protect a young child like Hunter. I have immense strength. I am able to fly. There is more to vampires than killing humans for food, we have our own rules that we must follow and some are stricter than your own human court system. Our Magistrate punishes any vampire who breaks these rules and vampires understand that the punishments can be severe to extreme. I have studied in many different disciplines throughout my life. I can speak nine different languages both fluently and proficiently. How many parents have both the training and the knowledge to guide a young one through life?"

God help me, I wanted to stand up and applaud after Eric had finished. He had debated both perfectly and (judging from the judges' mind) effectively. I knew that she was thinking about all of what Eric had said. She knew that he had won their debate about vampire rights. She turned her attention to Dwayne and Sally.

"And you…" she spoke to the couple across from us. "While you have done a fine job taking a child in under these circumstances, social services has expressed some concerns with you as well. It's my understanding that your home is barely acceptable for adults, let alone a child. Do you have the means to raise the child? Do you consider yourselves to be living in a way that might be detrimental to him?"

Neither one had the guts to open up their mouths, but I knew what they were thinking. They were saying, no. It made me happy and want to jump for joy. Ha! I wanted to shout at them, but I knew that would only raise more questions for the judge.

Not finished with us yet, the judge turned her attention back on us. It was like watching a rally at a tennis match.

"Another concern I have with you is that you both work in a bar-like setting. That is an improper for an impressionable child such as Hunter Savoy. Who would look after the child while you are both at work? Do you have a plan to send him to the best schools? I'm also concerned that while it's obvious that you both care for each other. There is no real commitment between the two of you. You are both unmarried. What are your plans for the future?"

Same as with the social worker, I didn't know how to respond. I looked over at Eric for back up.

"We have a plan," Eric announced. He wasn't looking at me, he was looking at the judge. "We are getting married as soon as possible."

Call me, shocked. Wait a minute...this was news to me. Hadn't he forgotten something, like asking _me_, for example? I sat there with my mouth hanging open, catching flies, like my Gran used to say. My heart raced and there were butterflies in my stomach. I stared at him incredulously.

Eric turned to me, with a sheepish expression on his face, as if he suddenly remembered that this was something he should have told me _first_.

"I am sorry. This was not how I planned it." He pushed his chair back and knelt down on bended knee. He dug a ring box out of the inside pocket of his jacket. "I have been carrying this in my pocket for a long time now. I was waiting for the perfect moment to ask you because you are a perfect woman. You told me that you wanted this to be memorable, but..." he paused, suddenly sounding unsure. It was completely unlike Eric. He was the most self-assured person I knew. "I wanted to prove to you and everyone else in this room, just how much you mean to me." Again, he paused, as if he were taking a deep breath or was trying to find the right words. "You know how much I love you, Sookie. I know you love me too. You know how well we suit each other. This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life, believe it or not," he grinned, impishly at me. "I am scared of living without you. If you feel the same way as me-I was wondering, Miss Sookie Stackhouse...would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He asked me, hopefully.

I sat there, still with my mouth hanging wide open. I didn't know what to say. Mr. Cataliades leaned over towards me.

"This is where you say, yes," he prompted me with a grin on his face. He looked only too pleased, as if he had had a hand in making this happen. I wondered if Eric had confided in him.

I couldn't ask him, of course, all of my attention and focus was on Eric. I was stunned. I stared at the box, up at Eric, then back again. Eric opened it and inside there was the most perfect engagement ring that I'd ever seen. It was a solitaire, not a gaudy one, but was still large. It was perfect. It was what I had always wanted my engagement ring to look like. I was speechless.

"Mr. Northman, I hope you are not trying to do this to impress me. I'm sure that you're quite aware that the state of Louisiana does not recognize marriages between vampires and humans," the judge spoke up, not impressed with Eric's proposal.

"I am doing nothing of the kind and to hell with the state of Louisiana," Eric told the judge. "I have wanted to do this for a long time, only I have been trying to find the best way of making it happen. I can assure you, this would be happening whether we were here or not." He turned back towards me. "Will you? Will you marry me?" He begged.

What could I say? Thoughts were swirling around in my head, this would have been better in a romantic kind of setting, but I realized that it didn't really matter. Nothing else mattered. Eric was proposing to me for real, and it was what I have been hoping and wishing, for a long time now.

I nodded my head and answered,

"Yes."

I wrapped my arms around Eric's neck and hugged him. He stood up and swung me around in his arms. I had tears in my eyes, I was so happy. Eric stopped and put me down. He took the ring out of the box and slipped it on to my finger. My fingers shook, as I stared at it on my hand.

"Perfect," he exclaimed, as he held my hand and gazed at it too.

"No," I shook my head. "_You're_ perfect," I cried. Happy tears started to roll down my face.

"Careful, you are leaking," he teased me. I could feel his intense pleasure and happiness from my answer. I wasn't sure if what we were feeling was each of us, or a combination of both of us, but from where I was standing, I was bubbling over with happiness. I couldn't wait to tell all of my family and friends.

We broke apart, as we remembered where we were and what we were doing, we both looked sheepish from our affectionate display.

We returned to our seats. Mr. Cataliades reached across me and shook Eric's hand.

"Congratulations," he told him. He turned to me. "I am very happy for both of you. Am I going to be invited to the wedding?" He teased.

By now the judge, being a woman and a romantic one at that, was in tears too. While she knew that our marriage wouldn't technically be legal, I could tell that our engagement pleased her immensely.

"You know, Mr. Northman…Miss Stackhouse, I've always thought that it was a shame that the state hasn't passed a law stating that a marriage between a vampire and human was legal. I'm happy for both of you." She wiped at her tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, you see, I do have a soft side. I still remember when my own husband proposed to me. What was I saying?" She wondered aloud. "Oh yes," she remembered, nodding her head. "While your marriage might not be technically legal, it would be considered common-law. Times have changed so that the state does recognize common-law marriages. That's all I needed to hear."

She looked at her watch. "Oh dear, it's getting late. I do have an early court case in the morning. However, before I adjourn this meeting. I'm going to grant you; Mr. Northman and Miss Stackhouse, weekly visitation rights. You will have Hunter Savoy starting next week. The Savoys the week after and so on. Do you understand what I'm explaining to you?"

We all nodded our heads.

"These visitation rights are only temporary and will end when your court hearings begin." She looked at the Savoys. "Please keep it civil in the meantime. When it's your turn for visitation, you will pick up the boy at his residence for that week. When your week is finished, the other couple picks him up at your place. If any of you is uncooperative, then the courts will step in and place Hunter in social services until after the hearing has declared his legal guardian. Am I making myself clear?"

All of us nodded our heads, too afraid to speak. The Savoys were angry and bitterly disappointed. They had hoped that the fact that Eric was a vampire would hurt us. I wondered what they would say as soon as the judge left the room.

Eric held my hand in his, as he had, all throughout the meeting, but especially since I had agreed to his proposal.

The judge called an end to the meeting and we rose as she left the room. I gathered up my purse. Mr. Cataliades gathered up his papers and put them in his briefcase. He patted Eric on the back.

"Again, my sincerest congratulations. This is very good for your case. The judge looked really pleased after you agreed to get married."

"That is not why I did it," Eric objected, as if Mr. Cataliades had accused him of doing it just for that reason.

"I know that, Eric. I just think that this ended perfectly. You have visitation rights and that is a step in the right direction." Mr. Cataliades explained. He looked over at the other couple, who were busy talking to their lawyer. "I wonder what is going through their minds right now?"

They both turned and looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders. "Let's just say that they're not very happy…can we go now Eric? I don't want them to talk to us right now. I don't want anything to spoil this night. Do you realize that we're _engaged_?" I asked, as if that were the most shocking thing that had ever happened.

Eric grinned at me, nodded his head and we followed Mr. Cataliades out of the courthouse. It was a very mild night. The moon was full and the stars were shining brightly.

We walked towards the parking lot and Eric's Corvette, but we stopped when we heard someone cry out. We turned and noticed Dwayne Savoy walking towards us, we looked at each other then back again.

"Nice little trick you pulled in there, _vamp_," he spat out, as if it were a dirty word. "But since my lawyer and the judge told us that we have to keep it civil…let's shake hands. No hard feelings." Dwayne held out his hand and waited for Eric to take it.

Eric looked like he wasn't sure if he should trust him. I told him in my mind, _"just do it…then we can get out of here." _

As soon as Eric's hand met Dwayne's, he screamed in pain. He dropped to his knees and tried to pull his hand out of Dwayne's tight grip.

"Eric, what's wrong?" I cried out, feeling helpless, alarmed and confused.

"Sil-ver," he cried out in anguish.

**TBC**


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Note: Sorry, it's been so long since my last update! :( I've been extremely busy and haven't had much time to write or edit anything. Believe it or not, I did have this chapter back from my Beta back in October, but didn't have a chance to sit down and fix it up until now! :( Thanks so much for all of your comments and for reading my story! Hopefully, you haven't given up on me and have stopped reading...have you?  
_

_How was everybody's Christmas? Wishing you all the best in 2011! Looks like it will be another great year in our fandom! :) You should check out my profile link to find out what I've been doing since the last time I updated! ;) _

_After a long and lengthy delay...here's the next chapter in Deadly Intentions! Hope you like it! Reviews are welcome! :)  
_

_Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Charlaine Harris! I own nothing! _

_Rated: M_

_

* * *

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**Chapter 22**

"Eric?" I cried, as I stood there watching him, feeling helpless, alarmed and surprised. Dwayne's thoughts were made of pure evil. It was rare in humans to think along the same lines his ran. It gave me the creeps. I was more surprised by Dwayne's thoughts, than the fact he had hurt Eric.

Dwayne's hand gripped Eric's and refused to let go.

"Sil-ver," Eric moaned, in anguish.

I turned on Dwayne, who suddenly released Eric's hand. He held it up for me to see. Grinning proudly, he replied, "silver coin."

Sure enough, there was a silver coin in the palm of his hand. I glared at him. "_Why_ would you do that to him? _What_ did my fiancé ever do to you?" I cried out, defending Eric.

It seemed strange calling Eric by that name, but I loved it. Too bad this incident was on the night of our engagement. We should be heading home to celebrate, not dealing with a psycho like this.

"The dead man lives..." Dwayne shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't give a damn. He squatted down until he was eye level with Eric. "Let that be a lesson to you, _vamp_. You may have charmed the judge with your good looks, knowledge and your marriage proposal...but I _don't_ buy it. We'll see who has the last laugh."

Eric stood up to his towering height. He was a good six inches taller. He glared down at Dwayne in anger and hatred. I placed my hand on his chest, trying to keep Eric from making the situation worse.

"I do not remember you telling a joke," Eric quipped back, now back in control of his temper.

Dwayne shrugged his shoulders and sauntered away from us, shaking his head and chuckling to himself. Sally had watched from a safe and wary distance, and she hurried to catch up with her husband. I watched them go, wanting to go after them, but decided that this wasn't the time or the place.

I took a look at Eric's hand. There was a circular burn mark in the middle of his palm.

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Eric. What would you like me to do? Do you need my blood or anything?"I took his hand and placed a kiss on his palm anyways.

Eric shook his head. "No, I will be fine," he still grimaced with pain. "You see? It is already healing." Sure enough it was.

"I can't believe that he would do something like this," I complained.

"I can believe it," Eric replied with sarcasm. "There is something about him...I cannot explain, but my gut is telling me to be very careful around him. He is not all that he seems to be. Come, we have something important to celebrate." I looked up at him. "Our engagement," he reminded me, when he noticed the puzzled look on my face. "We will go home and celebrate the fact we are engaged."

Eric took my hand in his good one. We climbed into his car and drove home.

It was awkward in the house when we returned. Eric watched me carefully, while I put my purse away and checked the messages on the phone. The closer we got to home - the more tense Eric had become. I could tell he was bothered by something. I waited for him to tell me what it was. I was trying to act patient because I knew he would tell me eventually.

"You are not upset?" He asked me, cautiously. He seemed to be studying me with a puzzled expression on his face.

I turned to look at him. "No, should I be?" I replied.

"Well...I thought that you would be disappointed and upset by the way I proposed to you," he explained. "I know that you wanted something with flowers and candles."

"I'm not upset. I was _surprised_...but I wouldn't say that I'm _upset_," I told him. I studied him for a few minutes. "Why, were you scared of my reaction because it wasn't romantic or something?"

Eric nodded his head. "I am sorry. I had planned on making it special for you, but when the judge asked us about our future plans, I got ahead of myself. I wanted to prove to the judge, how much you really mean to me and that she had nothing to worry about. I am sorry for disappointing you," he looked away from me, feeling ashamed.

I walked over to him, and turned his head towards me by touching his cheek. "I'm not disappointed," I tried to reassure him. "I'm happy! I'm ecstatic! I don't remember _ever_ feeling this way," I paused, as I looked up at him. "All I wanted was it to be memorable and it was _that_. How many brides could say their fiancé proposed to them during a court proceeding?" I smiled up at him, sweetly.

An impish smile appeared on Eric's face. "Yes," he agreed. "I would think that does not happen very often. I am glad. I am very happy that you agreed to be my bride. What should we do now?" He asked, curiously. "I am unfamiliar with how engaged couples celebrate."

"I don't know, some like to celebrate...in bed," I suggested, naughtily. The ideas running through my mind definitely revolved around sex. Sex with Eric had always been spectacular. I wondered if it could be better than it was already.

"Yes, I think we shall," Eric agreed, right before he kissed me.

He picked me up and carried me upstairs to our bedroom. He placed me on the bed and gazed down at me. "Are you sure that you want to marry me?" He asked, suddenly unsure of why I wanted him.

I reached for him. "I have never been surer of anything in my life. Make love to me, vampire," I ordered. I pulled him closer for a kiss. "Let me see what huge..._fangs_ you have," I growled.

Eric growled, his fangs elongated as he took me. He stripped me naked in a blink of an eye and he was inside me before I knew what was going on. It was very passionate and loving at the same time. When it was all over, we cuddled in bed. My head rested on his shoulder. My hand with my new engagement ring rested on his chest.

Eric picked my hand up and kissed my ring. "This ring is a symbol of Frigga," he explained, tenderly.

"Who is Frigga?" I asked him curiously.

"Frigga was the Goddess of marriage in my day," Eric explained. "This is a whole new experience for me. I never thought that I would find myself here, next to you, talking about marriage," he shook his head in awe.

There were still many things that I didn't know about Eric; like his past, what times were like back then. I had so many questions to ask him.

"Do you believe in that Goddess stuff to this day?" I asked, curiously. I had grown up in a Christian household and still attended church from time to time. It had never occurred to me that we might not have the same religious beliefs.

"Yes and no," he replied. "I have developed a wide interest in beliefs. I believe in life after death, but I do not know which religion is right. I prefer to think where you go depends on what that person believes. What you believe is a personal choice. If you believe that there was a Jesus, then I will not try to change your mind."

He turned his head to look at me.

"I believe that there is good in this world and I _know_ that there is evil. I think it is up to the person to decide which one to be. I try not to be prejudiced against anyone's religion. As for vampires, it is different. I do not think that we have an afterlife. I believe that where I go will be nothing but a dark void."

That thought kind of depressed me. I hoped that he was wrong. "Well," I smiled up at him. "I think one of the reasons why I love you, is because you accept me for who I am and have never tried to change me. I love you." We kissed.

I looked at the ring on my finger. "I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life," I told him, gratefully. "I have a confession to make..." I had to turn away from him to hide the expression on my face.

"What?" He asked, curiously. He had a puzzled expression on his face.

"I knew..." I confessed. "I read Bobby's mind and I knew that you had sent him shopping for a ring. I'm sorry...I have been waiting and wondering how you were going to do it ever since."

"Was this before or after he threatened you?" He asked, hesitantly.

"It was around the same time. It was why he said what he said to me. He didn't want you to marry me because he felt like I was taking his position away from him," I explained. "He was only doing it to protect you...but that was how it all started."

"Bobby should not have told you," Eric frowned.

"He didn't, I read his mind," I objected.

"Fear not, lover. I have talked to Bobby and he will leave you alone from now on," he explained, as if the matter were solved.

We laid in companionable silence for a while. We were both thinking about the court proceedings and our engagement.

I smiled. "I can't believe that we're one step closer to gaining custody of Hunter!" I exclaimed. "I was shocked when the judge granted us weekly visitations."

"I am surprised too. I think that she was impressed by my marriage proposal," Eric joked. He knew as well as I did, that the judge hadn't appreciated the timing or the action during a court proceeding.

I laughed. "I think you charmed her with your knowledge and your speech. Are you sure that you didn't glamour her?" I teased.

Eric laughed now too. "You know...I had not thought of that. It would make this easier on us all if I did that..." He laid there with a pensive and sneaky expression on his face.

"You will _not_ do it, Eric or..."

"Or...what?" Eric replied.

I knew he was only teasing. "Or else I will retract my agreement to your proposal. I will move back home to Bon Temps. I will rescind your invitation into my house and I will _never_ speak to you ever again, Eric Northman!" I threatened.

"Oh...okay then, I will not glamour her," he agreed.

I gave him a stern look, then we both burst into giggles. The way we were connected, reminded me of why I thought he was my soulmate. Too bad I hadn't figured it out sooner. He really did understand me and knew when I was joking or bullshitting. He knew when I was serious or when I needed cheering up. There were so many ways in which we connected on more than on a basic level. I never had any of that with either Bill or Quinn.

"So..." I started to say. "You mentioned in a court of law that you wanted to marry me soon..." I paused, as I gazed at him. "How soon is that?"

"I have never planned a wedding. I do not know how long it takes to plan one. Do you know?" He asked.

"I've always wanted a church wedding, but it'll have to be at night, and I've always wanted to have a dance. Tara, Amelia and of course, Pam can be my bridesmaids," I told Eric my plans for our big day. "I have a lot of work cut out for me, I guess." I frowned, as I suddenly realized just how much planning went into a wedding. "Who are you going to have as your groomsmen?" I asked him, curious as to whom he would pick.

Eric thought about it for a moment. "I think I will ask your brother, Jason. Sam could be one. And I was thinking...King Felipe?" He looked at me to see if I objected to any of them.

I nodded my head. Just as long as he didn't choose Bill, I'd be happy. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to be invited to the wedding at all. Eric and I still suspected him as being my stalker.

We made some more plans. Eric would have Bobby look into finding a place for the reception. If he couldn't find anything, we would have it at Fangtasia, as a last resort. I suggested having it at my house, in my yard under a tent or something. Just in case it rained on the human guests. Eric seemed to like that idea too.

I went to sleep with wedding and decorating plans rolling around in my head. I would have to go shopping for the color of paint that I wanted for Hunter's room the next day because he would be there before I knew it. I had a lot to do and that made me happy.

* * *

Just as he promised, Eric showed up at the Savoy's house after Sookie had fallen asleep. He regretted having to leave her. She had gone to sleep with a smile on her face. He was glad that she was excited about their upcoming wedding and having weekly visitations with Hunter. If anything, it would keep her preoccupied to enable him to get things done.

Eric watched from the shadows of the trees in the yard. He noticed a pickup truck pull in. He recognized Dwayne get out of the truck. He was carrying a case of beer. Eric wanted to pay him back for the handshake that he'd received earlier in the night. However, he reigned in his temper.

Hunter was relying on him to protect him and so he shall. He watched, as Dwayne entered his house and closed the door behind him. Eric silently walked to Hunter's window, he smiled, as he realized that Hunter had left it open wide for him.

He entered the house and watched Hunter's sleeping form for a few moments. He went to the door of his bedroom and listened to what was happening on the other side. He could hear Dwayne had turned on the TV and was watching a ballgame or something.

Eric returned to Hunter's bedside, leaned over and kissed him on the top of his head, the boy must have been a light sleeper, because he woke up.

"Uncle Eric?" he asked, groggily. "What time is it?"

"In the middle of the night," Eric whispered. "Hush, go to sleep. I am here to watch over you."

"Did you hear that I'm going to be staying with you next week?" Hunter asked, excitedly.

"Yes," Eric grinned. "Did you hear that your Aunt Sookie and I are getting married?" He replied.

"That's great, Uncle Eric!" Hunter exclaimed. He jumped out from underneath his covers and hugged him. "Now, you, I and Aunt Sookie can be a real family!" He told Eric, excitedly.

"Well...the courts have to decide that first, but...yes," Eric replied with a huge grin. "We will be." Eric heard something strange coming from the other room. He decided to check it out. "I hear something. I am going to check it out. You stay here, okay?"

"What do you hear, Uncle Eric?" Hunter asked, curiously. "Is that another magic trick of yours?"

"Yes," Eric replied. "Go to sleep. Forget that I am here," he told him.

Hunter grumbled and complained, but decided that Eric was right. He was tired. He crawled back into bed and went back to sleep.

Eric listened at the door for a few minutes. He could hear a different voice in the room. It wasn't the TV either. This voice belonged to someone else in the room.

"I don't care what that vampire told you!" He could hear Dwayne yell. "I want that V moving and I want it done _now_. It's important that you make it appear like Eric Northman is the one behind it too. That's an order."

"But...but..Dwayne, I told you...he almost killed me the last time!" The other voice complained. "I don't want to get caught," he whined.

There was a scuffle. "If you want to live, you better do it, or the next time we'll be talking in front of my loaded rifle!" Dwayne threatened.

Eric could hear the other person leave and drive away from the house. It made him think. Who had he threatened lately? There were many. The one most recent came to mind, because he had been with Sookie at the time. The V trafficker they had caught at Fangtasia. Could Dwayne be the boss? If so, who was supplying him with the V? Eric needed to find out these things.

He was one-step closer to getting to the bottom of things. He only needed more time and investigating before he would have all of his answers.

**TBC**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

I woke up later than usual, got ready for the day, and headed into the kitchen to grab myself a cup of coffee. I had a pen and notebook in my hands, so I could start writing down the things that needed to be done for my wedding. There were so many ideas...I needed to keep track of them, by keeping them neat and organized.

Bella greeted me as I sat down. She was busy carrying a laundry basket full of clothes she had just taken out of the dryer.

"Good morning, Sookie," she said with a bright smile on her face. "You look very happy," she commented, as she started to fold the clothes and placed them on the table.

"I am, Bella," I told her excitedly. "Eric and I...we're getting married!" I burst out exuberantly.

Instead of answering, she dropped the shirt that she had been holding, came around the table and hugged me, with a squeal of glee.

"Really? Oh my, that's wonderful news, Sookie. Really wonderful," she gushed. There were tears in her eyes.

I knew they were happy tears. I knew that she was extremely happy for Eric and me. I hugged her back.

"He proposed to me during our court proceeding. Can you believe it? You should have been there. I was completely stunned. It took me a few minutes to give him my answer," I went on to explain how it had all gone down.

"Master Eric has always been full of surprises," she agreed, amused.

"And guess what? We won weekly visitations with Hunter beginning next week! Things are definitely looking up for us."

"That is very good news," Bella replied. "I know how much the Master wanted you to be happy. I'm glad you are getting everything you rightly deserve."

I hugged myself, trying to contain the happiness I felt. "If I had known back then, what I know now...I would never have been so afraid," I told her. "I couldn't ask for a better man than Eric."

"Sing it, sister," she agreed. "Hallelujah." Bella laughed, pretending she was in church, raising her hands up in the air, rejoicing.

I had to laugh at her actions.

She returned to her household chores, while I sat at the table and got started on my wedding plans.

I pictured how I wanted my wedding to look like in my mind. I had to buy bridal magazines to help give me some ideas. I would visit Tara's shop for my wedding dress, because I knew she would give me a good discount. I needed to find a caterer. A photographer. A florist. Someone to officiate. What else would I need? Most of all, what would Eric want?

The wedding plans already gave me a headache. I would definitely need some help with some of the planning, I decided.

I knew who was full of great ideas too. I grinned at the thought.

I walked to my purse, dug out my cell phone and dialled Amelia's number. It rang a number of times. I was almost ready to hang up, when she answered.

"Hello?" she asked, curiously.

"Hi Amelia," I greeted her.

"Oh, how _nice_ of you to call me after all this time," she replied, sarcastically.

Amelia sounded bitter over the phone and I knew why. Neither of us had spoken to each other since Eric carted me away from my house like a heathen caveman.

"I'm sorry I haven't called you," I apologized. "It's just – Eric is Eric- he didn't give me a chance to leave a note behind to let you know I was leaving."

"It's okay, I was only busting your balls," she giggled in response. "Pam told me everything. How are you? How is _Eric_ treating you?"

"I'm great, in fact, better than great. I'm so happy I could die!" I exclaimed. "Eric proposed to me and we're getting married!"

"Sookie, I'm very happy for you. Truly," she replied. "How did he propose? Was it romantic and everything you have ever hoped it would be?"

"_Better_ than that. He took me _completely_ by surprise, and proposed during a court proceeding!"

I began telling her everything that had happened since I left Bon Temps, including the news about Hunter. After I was all finished and she had given me her congratulations, we started planning for my wedding day.

"I really need your help, Amelia. I was wondering...would you be my maid of honor?" I asked, hopefully, suddenly fearful that she may not want to be involved.

"Of course!" She replied, excitedly. "The answer is rather obvious, don't you think? I have plenty of ideas. I already have your bachelorette party all planned out in my mind. What would you like me to do exactly?"

"I'm coming home back to Bon Temps later today, but I have to run some errands first. I'll pick you up at my house, and we can start going over everything. Is that okay?"

We made arrangements and tentative arrangements for our planning session. After our conversation ended, I hung up the phone. I called out to Bella and told her I was leaving. I left through the garage door.

There was one, _very_ important thing I had to do and I knew Eric would object _vehemently_ to it, if he found out about it. He wouldn't like this at all. I could only do it while he was in his daytime sleep.

I could hear a little voice in the back of my head, telling me what Eric would think about my brilliant idea. Eric would be telling me it was a very stupid idea, but I stubbornly refused to listen to my inner voice.

I had to see for myself. I _had_ to help both Eric and Hunter. My gut was telling me - the problems the two special men in my life faced - were somehow related.

I drove to Red Ditch and on to Dwayne and Sally's house. I had to take back roads, but I eventually found it with ease. It was the only house for miles around.

God forbid, if Hunter ever needed emergency medical attention, I thought to myself. There was no way anybody would be able to reach him in time.

I wasn't sure what I was looking for, or why I had to do this...but my gut was telling me - I _needed_ to be there.

I pulled to a stop on the shoulder of the road, and parked at the end of the driveway leading up to the property. I could see a small run-down house, in need of a paint job. The eaves looked in dire need of a cleaning, and the porch looked like it was sagging in on one side.

Hunter's living conditions broke my heart. While I felt sympathetic for them falling on hard times. This was no home for a child like Hunter.

There was an older model pickup truck parked next to the house. It looked dirty and had a dent in the drivers' side. The grass was tall and needed mowing, and it looked like a very depressing place.

I listened in with my mind to see if I could pick up any brainwaves or if anybody was home. There wasn't.

I was about to open up my car door and step out, when I heard a vehicle coming up behind me on the road. I quickly put my car in gear and stepped on the gas. I needed to find a place to hide my vehicle from view. I noticed a turnoff up ahead and pulled into a secluded clearing. I would have to hike through the forest to get to the Savoy's house.

I was wearing the wrong kind of shoes for this, I thought to myself, after I twisted my ankle for the umpteenth time,while I manoeuvred my way through the woods. Stifling a groan, I limped towards the farmyard, which wasn't as far away as I thought. I peered around trees and tried to keep hidden, as I spied Hunter, Sally and Dwayne entering the house, and closing the door behind them.

Luckily, the farmhouse was the closest building to me. I walked to the window, but it was too high up for me to look inside. I needed something to climb up on, I looked around and noticed a wooden crate sitting next to the house. I tried to drag it over, but it was heavier than I had thought. I needed to find something else that I could move, without making any noise.

I looked around some more and noticed another crate off to the side, this one was empty. I carried it over to the window, climbed up on top of it and looked inside.

The window was very dirty and it was hard to see. I could barely make out the figures in the living room. I could see Hunter playing with a toy car on the floor, Dwayne was sitting in front of the TV, in a worn-out Lazyboy chair. He had a beer in one hand and a remote control in the other - the typical male version of multi-tasking.

Sally was out of sight, but I could read her thoughts. She was thinking of what she was going to make for dinner, so I assumed she was keeping herself busy in the kitchen.

I shifted my attention back on Hunter and Dwayne. Dwayne's thoughts centered around the ballgame on TV. Hunter's were on his toy.

Suddenly, Hunter looked up as if he sensed me there. I put my finger up to my lips and thought at him.

"_Please__don't__let__on__that__I'm__here.__Keep__playing__with__your__toy,__"_ I told him.

Hunter looked unsure, but nodded his head in a discrete manner.

Suddenly, the wooden crate I was standing on, splintered and cracked. Next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground, with my feet tangled up in the crate.

Shoot! I screamed in my mind.

I could hear Dwayne suddenly call out, "What was that? Did ya hear a noise? It's came from outside, I'm goin' to check it out."

I could hear his footsteps, as he climbed out of his chair and headed for the front door. I had to think fast. I scrambled to my feet and ducked around the corner of the house. I was breathing rapidly, as I heard Dwayne arrive at the spot I had been a few seconds before.

"What the fuck?" I could hear Dwayne saying. "Must have been a wild animal or something," he grumbled to himself. "Who's out here?" He called out.

I tried not to make a sound. I could hear him moving nearer, I had to get away from him somehow. I noticed a Quonset type of building not too far away. Hopefully, I could make it before Dwayne rounded the corner.

I sprinted as fast I could and tried the knob on the door. It was open. I stepped inside, just a few seconds before Dwayne came around the corner. He must have noticed the door closing behind me, because I could hear him yell, "Shit!"

I tried to look around for a place to hide, but it was too dark. I kept bumping into immoveable objects, as I made my way through the huge room. Finally, I found something big enough to hide behind. I ducked down and watched as Dwayne entered the Quonset, closing the door behind him, I saw the sliver of light shining inside as he entered, only to grow dark again.

It was enough. I had been able to spot a closed door not too far away from me. I slowly came out of my hiding place, and crept towards it as quietly as I could. I could hear Dwayne steadily getting closer and closer.

I tested the knob and it was open too. Don't people lock doors anymore? Anyone could get in. Mind you, who would be stupid enough to come all the way out here, like me?

If I walked through the doorway, it would definitely draw Dwayne's attention. I needed to distract him somehow. I bit my lip as I thought about it. I noticed something near me, which I could throw. I picked it up and it was a tool of some sort. I felt the metal in my hand and threw it in the opposite direction from where I came from.

"What the hell?" Dwayne called out. I could hear his footsteps moving away from me and in the direction I had thrown the tool.

I opened the door and crept in, wincing as I heard the door creak. The hinges need to be oiled, I thought to myself.

The good news was, there were a few windows in this room, so I was able to see clearly. The bad news...I stood there motionlessly as I took it all in.

It was surreal to me. There were tubes, IV's, syringes, bottles and everything else you could possibly need to extract, portion and distribute V. At least, that's what I guessed all this equipment was used for. There was even a chair with silver chains strapped to it, where I assumed a vampire had once sat while either he or she had freely given their blood, or it had been taken from them by force.

I was horrified. Dwayne was behind this? I had had my suspicions...but to see the physical proof was unsettling for me. I heard Dwayne on the other side of the door and it shook me out of my stunned state. I began to take pictures of all of the paraphernalia in the room as quickly as I possibly could, with my cell phone.

The doorknob rattled, as Dwayne tried to turn it. I looked around for some place to hide or escape.

"Uncle Dwayne?" I heard Hunter call out, on the other side of the door. "Aunt Sally said to tell you supper is ready."

"Fine, I'll be there in a minute, boy," he replied. "I just want to check on something first."

"Okay," I heard Hunter reply.

"_Hunter,__insist__that__he__must__come__now.__I'm__in__the__next__room,__"_ I explained to him in my mind.

"_Aunt__Sookie?__"_ Hunter replied, in the same way. _"__What__are__you__doing__here?__" _

"_Nevermind, what I'm doing here. Just distract Dwayne, so I can get out of here." _

"_Okay,__" _he replied. "But Uncle Dwayne, Aunt Sally said that the food will be cold, if we don't get there _now_," he insisted. "And we can't eat until you get there." Hunter added, as an after-thought.

"_Good__boy,__"_ I approved, in my mind. _"__Thanks__Hunter.__"_

"Okay, fine. Wouldn't want that bitch to cut me off. Her crawfish gumbo is the best this side of the Mississippi." He complained.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard both Hunter and Dwayne leave me alone in the Quonset. After I was sure the coast was clear, I headed outside too and went back through the woods to my car.

Sitting in my car, I looked at the pictures I had taken.

It appeared I had solved one of the mysteries we had surrounding us. I needed to get home and make sure to save these pictures on Eric's computer, before I headed back to Bon Temps.

To be continued...


End file.
